


All Breakages must be paid for

by Lucreace



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Angst, Bleak, F/M, Romance, Undead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-05-22 05:25:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 61,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6066849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucreace/pseuds/Lucreace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years after Voldemort's demise finds the world a radically changed place. A chance encounter on the road reunites some old acquaintences that spark a series of events that may well solve the mystery of what happened. Very AU. The story is very bleak, if you want cheerful, this story isn't for you! Eventual SS/HG</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The world had changed. Somewhere along the way, something had gone horribly wrong. Huddling into his tatty, black coat, Severus hurried along the cracked, broken road, desperately hoping to find somewhere safe before nightfall. Something to eat wouldn’t be too bad either, though most places had been torn apart for food by looters now. There wasn’t much of anything left from before. Muggle or otherwise. Footsore, he continued weaving his way down what was the A1 road heading towards London. Currently, he was about three miles from Pontefract so had a rather large walk ahead of him.  
It wouldn’t have been so bad but the cars that had been abandoned littered the road, the grass was spreading rapidly over the tarmac, now that there was no-one to tend it, nature was taking over once more. Icy wind bit his exposed flesh as he walked into it. No matter how much he pulled his coat around him or hunched over, it always seemed to find a way in to torment him. Even if he dug his ragged cloak from his bag, he wouldn’t be warm, this was the sort of cold that seeped into your bones and didn’t let go.  
The weak sun, having begun its descent hours before, now lingered on the horizon, rapidly bringing darkness to the forlorn countryside. Looking around, Severus turned in the direction of the slip-road and hoped to find somewhere to stay for the night. Days were dangerous enough, nights were deadly. As he followed the road, he saw two buildings with the potential for overnight lodgings. One was a roadside pub; the other had once been a budget hotel. He opted for the pub. It had less floors and was more likely to be deserted. He’d been alone long enough to know that other people were just as dangerous as what else was out there.  
Silently, he circled the building. Everything about it told him it was unoccupied. Still, he kept his hand on the large knife resting at his hip and his eyes open. Picking his way to the front door, he lifted the latch and let himself inside. Dust from the last five years touched everything and the mouldering smell of neglect hit his nose. Still, it was out the wind and that was a definite improvement. Keeping his hand on the knife handle, he made his way through the entrance and into the bar area. A huge fireplace was the central feature of the ancient building and he was sorely tempted to light it. Only the fear of discovery kept him from doing so. Leaving the large room behind, he went in search of the kitchen.  
Finding it as deserted as the rest of the place, he carefully avoided opening the fridge, having learned that mistake the hard way. The room was gloomy but silent, there was no one here. As quickly as he could, he threw the cupboards open in search of something that might resemble food. Most of the cupboards were empty, except for a few packets of dried pasta, which he shoved into his battered rucksack. He was about to give up when the final draw revealed a couple of rusty tins containing Spam and a jar of peaches. A bounty like that was nothing to be sniffed at so he snatched them up and left.  
The large, empty common room was far too open for him to comfortably sleep in so he abandoned it in search of the stairs. Pushing through a large door, he climbed them and found a much smaller room. This one had a bed at least, still with some blankets on too. Still not wanting to risk a fire, even in the much smaller hearth, he sat on the floor and pulled the thick blanket around him instead. Pulling out one of the tins, he tapped it gently with the tip of his wand and the thing popped open. Reaching into his pack for a spoon, he began shovelling the much needed meat into his mouth. It didn’t take long to finish. When he had, he wiped the spoon as best he could and put it back into his pack. Rising, he picked up the nearby chair and used it to jam the door shut. There had been no sign of any Restless since leaving the road but there was no need to be careless. When that was done, he muttered, “Lumos,” to light his wand. His voice was rusty, cracked from lack of use. He hadn’t seen another soul for two months now and even then, he had avoided their questions before slipping away unseen.  
He tugged a book from his pack and began leafing through it. He’d read it hundreds of times now and the pages were worn and thin but in absence of anything else, he had to make do. Jane Eyre wasn’t what he would normally read but it had been the only thing he’d grabbed when he’d left Hogwarts, years previously. It didn’t take long for his eyes to grow heavy. Crawling onto the mattress, he felt the tug of sleep pulling on his consciousness. The novelty of sleeping in a bed wasn’t lost on him, though he didn’t remove his shoes. He doused his wand and tucked it safe against his forearm. Sleep took him moments later.  
Severus awoke when he heard shuffling downstairs. Early morning light filtered through the dusty window. He was alert in seconds, on his feet and ready to face whatever it was downstairs. Brushing his oily black hair from his face, he silently removed the chair that was jamming the door shut. He pressed an ear against it, listening for any movement on the other side. After three minutes, there was none so he eased it open and stepped into the corridor.  
Pressing to the side of the hallway, he navigated the stairway, keeping his steps light, his mind alert. His breaths came in short measure, shallow and ready to run should he need to. So far, he could see or hear nothing. Arriving at the door at the foot of the stairs, he peeked through the glass. The large room appeared deserted; still, he crouched there for a long moment. When he was sure it was clear, he opened the door quietly and crept into the common room.  
He was sure he’d gotten away with it. Sure he was about to make his exit and be on his way without encountering any trouble. As his hand reached out for the final door he froze, “Not so fast!” A sharp female voice barked. “I have a cross bow aimed right at your back so don’t move an inch.” Swallowing hard, he remained exactly where he was. It would only take a quick flick of his wrist to retrieve his wand, a small gesture to aim it at this assailant, disarm them and get out of there. He wished them no harm but neither was he going to be taken down easily.  
The woman behind him coughed, “Now, turn around… Slowly.” He did as she requested, turned to his left, away from her. Twisting his wrist, he let his wand drop into his hand as he moved. The rest of his turn was faster. As he brought his arm up, his eyes followed, the words of the spell died on his lips, half formed when his eyes met a familiar face.  
The woman’s eyes widened and she dropped her crossbow. He hadn’t been mistaken then. He stood there, frozen in place as she squealed and surged forward. Arms clasped his waist and made a fuss over him. Not knowing what to do, he remained rigid, upright and totally lost. Never had his presence caused such a reaction, even when the world was right with itself.  
“Oh Merlin, I can’t believe it’s you!” she whispered. “I thought you were dead.”  
“Nearly everyone is dead,” he replied. It wasn’t much comfort to anyone but it was the truth. Slowly, she untwined herself from his stiff body and picked up her crossbow. He looked over her again and nodded, it was definitely her. Thinner, leaner with a hard glint in her eyes that had been absent in her school years but the bushy hair and the chocolate eyes gave her away.  
“Not everyone.” Hermione said. A small smile playing on her lips as she bent to retrieve the crossbow. Severus tucked his wand back in his sleeve and made sure everything else was in place.  
“No?”  
“Nope. Harry and Ron are alive.” He shuddered despite himself. He had hoped to not see those two particular idiots again so soon. “Several Order Members are around. Moody, Tonks, Remus…” Her voice trailed off as he looked her up and down.  
“Minerva?”  
Hermione shook her head. It was to be expected, she’d been old at the battle of Hogwarts. The Restless were not kind on the old or frail. Still, the actual knowledge of his friend’s death caused a pang in his chest. He merely nodded however and urged he girl to speak on. “We’re camped about three days south of here. Why don’t you come with me and see for yourself.”  
“Maybe I’ll get some answers,” he muttered. The ten words he’d spoken were the most in months and he coughed, aware that his voice was raw. His throat too, come to think of it. He was about to reach into his pack for some water when she threw him her water skin.  
“We’ve food and water enough at the camp and it’s safe there too. The Restless can’t get in and you’ll be able to rest as much as you want.” Her explanation was enough and he was sorely tempted. He had been long without company and that alone did much to persuade him. Slowly, he nodded.  
“Very well. Take me to this camp of yours.”  
The look of delight on her face was a picture and he almost smiled. Thrusting his hand through his hair to force it back from his forehead, he gestured for her to lead on. Early morning light spread over the grass-swamped fields and thankfully, the wind had dropped. He followed close behind her in silence, looking from side to side at the walked. He noted that she was not heading back towards the A1 but found that it didn’t matter. London could wait. He may well find what he needed to know in this camp of hers. He just hoped that they could make it there safely.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite the fact that it was freezing cold, despite the fact that she knew there was a three day walk back to what she considered civilization and despite the fact that she was hungry for more than cold meat, Hermione felt elated. Never, even in her wildest dreams, had she ever thought to see the dour Potions Master again. Maybe he had the answer they’d all been searching for. Perhaps his presence held the key to their survival. She clenched her fists at her sides to prevent her excitement from showing and continued walking.   
Stealing a covert look at him, perhaps the third that hour, she noticed that he was no longer the neat, fastidious man he had been while she was at school. True, none of them were. His once fine frock coat was now tatty, the hems of his trousers ragged. It was also painfully obvious that he’d not eaten properly in months and the circles under his eyes were darker than ever. Long hair hung in limp strands and h-  
“Are you quite done?” he asked. A deep flush coloured her cheeks and she looked away hastily.   
“That obvious?” He just nodded a response and she looked at the road beneath them. “It’s been a long time and well… you look…” she trailed off, unsure how to finish  
“Terrible. I look terrible,” he replied.  
“Now, I didn’t-“  
“Don’t humour me Granger. I look terrible because I’ve been living off the street and what I can find over the past five years,” he said. The retort stung, as his always did and she huffed out a sigh. “We all look a lot different,” he added. His voice was so soft she almost missed what he’d said.  
“That we do,” she agreed, knowing it was the truth. Her own frame was thin and she was covered in her share of dirt too. Her clothes had seen better days but they were nowhere near as tattered as his. Perhaps there would be something he could wear back at camp. There would definitely be a shower he could have. “We’ve facilities at camp,” she said, trying to make conversation. “Something better than a cleansing charm at least.”  
At the mention of magic, he looked up, his eyes narrow and his shoulders hunched. Had she touched a nerve? “And you find using magic so freely an advantage do you?”  
Her eyes found his and she shook her head. “I…” she trailed off, unable to admit to the brilliant wizard at her side the shameful truth. Instead of softening his expression, his eyes turned stony, somehow colder than the wind that was once more picking up.  
“Out with it!” he snapped  
“I can’t cast much anymore Sir. My wand was snapped early on, when we still didn’t know what was going on.” She kept her eyes on the ground, unable to look at him as she spoke. Bracing herself for the tirade that followed, she hunched her shoulders as if they would protect her from his words. When none came, she slowly looked up. Something in his pose seemed to have died, before she would have expected a thorough telling off; now, he just walked beside her silently. The air of defeat was unbearable. “Have you nothing to say?”  
“What do you want me to do?” he sighed as he spoke; “Shout at you? My shouting at student’s days are many years behind me. Besides, you are no longer a student.”  
His answer wasn’t what she had expected; she wondered where his fire had gone. Maybe one of the Restless had killed it off. As she was considering it, his arm shot out, stopping her in her tracks. Instantly alert, she heard the same grunting, groaning noise he had. Glancing to the side of the road, they both saw the long grass and moved together. Running behind him, Hermione didn’t glance over her shoulder. She could only hope the Restless hadn’t seen them; they were relentless in their pursuit of the living, even if they weren’t fast.  
Slender as he was, he was still capable of outrunning her. Hermione struggled to keep up with the lanky man in front of her. By the time he stopped, she was panting and seeing white spots in front of her eyes. She braced her hands on her knees and drew in shaking breath after shaking breath. How the hell did he do it?  
“We can’t stop,” he whispered. She nodded and forced herself to straighten up. He was right, there was no way they could stop now. He began moving again, this time at a brisk walk. Hermione kept her eyes focused on his back, making sure she kept her ears alert and her eyes wide. It would be useless now if they were sprung upon and devoured. Cold wind ripped across the countryside, sending the long grass waving as though it were a vast sea rather than an overgrown field.   
Silence was the key, if they moved quietly, maybe they’d be alright. Her mind circled round and round. She’d been in this situation so many times that she wasn’t even sure why she was worried. Still, she moved behind her companion and through the fields, hoping they’d avoid a likely deadly encounter.  
Since she’d lost her wand, Hermione had been able to cast a few, minor spells but without the guidance of anyone, it had been a bit like stabbing in the dark. Mostly guesswork and botched attempts, which were unpredictable at best and a failure at worst, it had been difficult to come to terms with, like losing her right arm. Hence the crossbow slung over her back and the large knife at her side.   
After an hour of travelling in complete silence, she drew up alongside her companion and reached out a hand. Hesitantly, she touched his arm. When his head turned, she slowed her pace. “I think we’re alright now,” she whispered.  
He gave a brief nod, “I believe so.” Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and looked around carefully. The fields of long grass were coming to an end, replaced by scrubland and stunted bushes. When they crossed into the open land, the air began nibbling into their skin. Before long, Hermione’s fingers were frozen and her teeth chattered.  
“There’s a house about four miles or so down the road,” she said as her teeth shook. “We can stop there and warm up.”  
He raised a brow at her and she noticed that his mouth had a slight blue tinge to it. “Maybe there, you can tell me what happened to cause all this nonsense,” he said.  
“I’ll share with you what I know,” she nodded. They fell silent once more as they marched their way across the barren, open countryside. The journey took far longer than she had hoped, by the time they got there, the wind had chilled her to the bone and the sky had darkened with thick, grey clouds. When they arrived at the door, she pulled out a key and unlocked it, motioning for Severus to enter. As soon as he had done so, she closed and locked the door once more.  
“Muggle locks?” he asked with a raised brow.  
“The Restless can’t work magic,” she answered with a shrug, “And you may have noticed that the use of such attracts them rather quickly.”   
“It had occurred to me…” he whispered as he looked around. Hermione tapped his shoulder and motioned for him to follow her. She led him to a wooden ladder that led to the top floor. She climbed it nimbly before waiting for him to follow. As soon as he had, she pulled the ladder up and shut the hatch, securing them on the top floor.  
Knowing that they would now be safe, she relaxed a fraction. “We can’t start a fire or anything but there is a large pile of blankets we can use to get warm over there and the sofas aren’t that uncomfortable.” She explained as she walked over to the stack. By the time she had one in her hands, he’d removed his pack and sank onto one of the couches. Throwing one of the thicker blankets at him, she took one for herself and settled down.  
“What is this place?” he asked after pulling the blanket over his shivering form.  
“A safehouse. We have several around the area. We pull out the stairs so the Restless can’t get to us. Even if they get into the ground floor, we’re safe up here. We’re sealed away from them.” She folded her arms under the blanket and tucked her feet up to her chest, curling up to collect warmth.  
He nodded as she spoke. “Are there many of them?”   
“About half a dozen. All of them have a similar set up to this, usually old farm houses. The buildings are sturdy and can take the renovations easier than the newer places. There are also some tins of food over there, though it’s not much.” When she mentioned food, his eyes lit up and she gestured to the tins, “Help yourself.” He didn’t need telling twice, as soon as the words were out; he was up and looking through the tins. Moments later, he was back under the blanket, munching on a tin of all day breakfast as though it was fit for a king. Perhaps in this case it was.  
She watched him eat in silence, not hungry herself. The gnawing hunger that settled in her belly was an old companion now and it rarely bothered her. Thirst however, was a different matter entirely. Reaching into her own bag, she pulled out a half full bottle of water and took a sip. She’d have enough to get back to camp if she was careful.   
When he put the empty tin aside, she looked up and nodded. “So, tell me what happened,” he said as he brushed black strands from his face.  
“Where shall I start?”  
“At the end of the war, the last time everything was normal was in the aftermath. I was recovering in the infirmary when the rumours started. I relapsed, fell into a coma. When I awoke, everyone was gone,” he said, giving her a point of reference with which to start.  
Slowly, she nodded, opening her mouth to speak, she closed it again. It took her a moment to find the right words. When she opened it again, she noticed he was regarding her with intense, black eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

He watched her thoughts play out over her face as they always had. Maybe she wasn’t as different as he thought. Sure, she was leaner and had a hard look in her eyes that had always been missing before but she still played her emotions and thoughts over her face like she had when she was an eleven year old girl eager to please at the front of his classroom. He passed a hand over his face and sighed. That was a lifetime ago and they both knew it. Patiently, he waited for her to gather her thoughts and begin telling the tale he was waiting to hear.  
When she opened her mouth, he listened carefully. “I remember how you were in those first days.” He frowned; this wasn’t what he was expecting to hear. “After we found out… everything… Harry, Ron and I came to visit you, especially after you slipped back into a place where we couldn’t find you. Minerva was busy setting about rebuilding the castle, along with the rest of the Order and we were ordered back to school to see out the rest of the year.   
“I remember the first time we found something wasn’t right. We were in charms; I think it was anyway, when this shambling man came staggering across the lawn. He was one of the Restless, although we didn’t know it at the time.” She paused and pushed her hair out of her face with a sigh, “It was awful. He bite and struck those around him and as you know, that passed on his sickness. Those who were bitten by him turned. It took less than twenty four hours for most of the school to succumb to it and just over seventy two for those who died to rise again.”  
When she paused, he shifted a little under the blanket, trying to get the warmth to penetrate down to his toes. “How did you get out?” He asked as he jammed his hands between his thighs.  
“I’ve asked myself that so many times since,” she muttered. It was a while before she spoke again but he let her have a moment to collect her thoughts. “Harry came and got me. I remember him babbling on about what was happening and how we had to leave. Ron was with him and he was beside himself, you remember how he gets under stress?” He nodded an affirmation. The ginger idiot turned into a blubbering wreck when under enough pressure. “I was in the library when they got me. Dragging me away from my books in such a hurry, I didn’t even have time to put them back.”   
He rolled his eyes at the sadness in her voice, “Why am I not surprised Miss Granger?”  
The look she gave him was scathing, “Are we still using formal terms? After everything that has happened?” He didn’t reply, he didn’t need to, the answer was obvious.  
“Anyway, the boys forced me to pack a few things and then we left. Everyone was panicking around us so we slipped away. We went to Hogsmeade and talked about what was going on. We decided that we’d best get away from Hogwarts as soon as we could.” Here she paused once more and he suspected that she’d left out a chunk of the story. He didn’t press her, she would tell him in time, or not. It wasn’t his place to force information from her anymore.  
“So you met with the other Order members shortly after and formed this… camp?” he asked after it became apparent she wouldn’t continue the story further.  
“It took a year to find them all and another year to find somewhere suitable. When that place was overrun, we moved on. We kept moving until we found the place we’re based in now. It took a year to find, six months to clear and another six to make sure it was completely safe. The last year we’ve spent trying to find out what has caused this problem.” Her explanation was adequate and she fell silent.  
When he spoke again, he knew his voice was filled with a deep resignation, “What caused this? Why are the dead walking the earth?”  
“That’s what I’ve asked every day since it started.” When she caught his eyes, the same resignation reflected back at him. When had her youthful jubilation been replaced by such complacent acceptance?   
“Do you have ideas?”  
“I’ve had plenty Severus,” his brow puckered a little when she used his given name but he was too company starved to say anything about it, “But there’s no way to check them. My wand was snapped by the teeth of a Restless about four years ago. We can’t apparate as it attracts them far quicker than any other magic and well, survival seems to have taken priority over my hare-brained ideas.” A sad sigh escaped her lips and he shook his head slowly. Silence descended between them again and he was once more caught up in his own thoughts. If they had no idea, maybe they were destined to never know what had caused this great fracture in the world.  
“Tell me your thoughts.” He said when the silence became more than he could bear. Somehow, after the five years of near solitude, sitting in the same room as someone else in silence was detestable. Once he had longed for silence, now he wanted nothing more than to hear the voice of another friendly human being.  
“I have several ideas. I thought it might be a type of viral infection at first, especially when the bites of the Restless caused the recent dead to change but I changed my mind when I realised that those who didn’t have fatal injuries seemed to recover just fine.”   
“Go on.”  
“Ron took a wound from one of them a couple of years ago. It was bad and we all thought he was going to die. He made a full recovery however and that’s when I learned that it wasn’t a virus,” she explained. He nodded along with her.  
“I thought it could have been a pathogen changed by some Muggle experiment, I know they liked to do that sort of thing but there was no evidence of that,” he said. Her eyes widened as he spoke freely and he smiled inwardly. It didn’t show on his face, that he kept in its usual scowl but it was there none the less.  
“I thought that too but dismissed the idea when Ron was bitten.”  
“Could it be an airborne pathogen?”  
“It’s possible, but then again, how are we still alive if that’s the case?” Her brow furrowed as she considered it for a moment.  
“I have no idea,” he whispered. Slowly, he stretched out on the couch. Warmth had crept back into his bones and he was feeling distinctly more comfortable. He did keep his arms under the blanket however and he tucked the edges in. “I was bound for London to see if there was anything there that may give me an idea.”  
“There’s nothing there,” she said quietly. Her eyes found his and she shook her head slowly. “We tried to get to Diagon Alley a year or so ago. The whole city was overrun with Restless, we couldn’t get through.” Hermione said.  
“Do you know that the Alley is gone? Did you see it for yourself?”  
Slowly, she nodded. “Six months ago, Moody and Harry managed to get through. It was deserted, everything was destroyed.” Severus shut his eyes. He had hoped that the Alley had managed to survive this madness. It was a link to how the world should be. To find it had been destroyed was a terrible blow. He curled up once more and let out a deep sigh. “I’m sorry Severus.” Her voice cut through to him and he looked up into her chestnut eyes.  
“It’s not your fault,” he muttered. There was no point blaming her for the bad news yet he couldn’t stop the swell of resentment rise in him. Getting to the Alley had been his goal for as long as he could remember. To learn that it was gone was devastating, what was he supposed to do now? The thought was a dark one and he pushed it aside.  
“My hope of acquiring a new wand died that day…” Her words trailed off and silence descended once more. Somehow, he felt awkward. The heavy weight of no sound was oppressive yet he couldn’t think of a word to say to the woman lying opposite him on the sofa. What else could he ask without feeling an idiot? It wasn’t as though he could enquire about her career; that had all been put on hold the moment the world changed. Maybe this was a bad idea after all; he wasn’t fit for the company of other people. He’d barely been sociable before and after this time he found that he was severely out of practice.  
The matter was taken out of his hands when shuffling and moaning sounded from outside. He froze, his body going rigid, his hand curling to the knife that now rested on the floor in front of him. “Relax,” Hermione whispered, her voice was barely audible, “If we stay quiet, they’ll move on, there is no way they can know we’re here.”  
He nodded but remained tense, “It’s safe?” When she nodded back, he let out a sigh and tried to force his muscles to relax. “This is all new,” he muttered by way of explanation.  
“Even if they get in the house, they cannot get up here.” When he recalled the ladder she’d pulled up, he did relax, maybe it was safe after all.  
“I can’t remember what it’s like to sleep safely somewhere,” he replied pushing hair back from his face.  
“I remember what that’s like,” she whispered. He watched a look of sympathy cross her face and he shut his eyes, he didn’t want it. Life had been hard but he had survived which was more than most. “Get some sleep Severus; we’ve still a long way to go before we reach camp.” He nodded and kept his eyes closed. He may feel warm and less hungry than he had been but it took a long time for him to relax enough for sleep to claim him.


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione laid awake long into the night. The excitement of finding someone alive flowed through her. To find someone alive that she knew was even better. Someone like Severus would be a brilliant addition to their cause and his mind hadn’t seemed to lost any of its sharpness either. Harry would be delighted to know he’d survived and was sure to welcome him into their camp. Ron, well, she was less sure about him but he’d warm to the idea soon enough… And if he didn’t, that was his problem. Long after his breathing had become even and deep, she flipped onto her side and peered at him through the gloom. Now that he couldn’t catch her, she took a long look. He was so painfully thin it was clear the last few years had not been kind. The deep lines had softened now that he slept but they were still evident, even in his relaxed state. She shook her head and turned away, the world hadn’t been kind to any of them since this outbreak. They all looked careworn and haggard. It was as though the joy had been leeched from the world, leaving behind their current situation. Hermione forced aside the dark thoughts and shut her eyes; sleep was a long time in coming.  
Dawn light filtered through the tatty curtains and onto her face. She groaned and threw her hand over her face in a vain attempt to stop her true ascent to the conscious world. “Come on Granger, I thought you wanted to make good ground today.” His rough voice snapped her awake and she rubbed her eyes as she sat up.  
“Hmmm,” she mumbled as her eyes focused. “Did you sleep alright?” she asked as she swung her legs from under the blanket and into the crisp morning air. He nodded and moved away from the window. A shiver ran through her and she wrapped her arms around her body before she stood. Bending down, she placed her knife back at her side and sighed. “Have everything you need?” He nodded again and she gave a wry half smile. She bent and folded up her blanket, replacing it from where it came from and made sure everything was in place. “Let’s go,” she said. Without a word, he stalked from the room. As she followed, she couldn’t help feel like a naughty school girl once more. Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought. He’d said himself that she was no longer a student and she had no need to feel so awkward.  
When they reached the hatch, he turned down the ladder. He looked around the ground floor of the building before he climbed down silently. When his feet were set, he gave her a nod and she followed. This was always the worst part. If the Restless did manage to enter the building in the night, it was a bugger to get them out the next day. Usually it meant killing, which meant risking death. The wounds they inflicted may not be infectious but they were always nasty. Having someone with her made this part that much easier. Slowly, she climbed down the ladder and joined him on the ground floor.  
Silently, they both made their way to the door of the gloomy house. This time, she went first. Easing the handle up, she opened it slowly, knowing that the hinges were well oiled and they wouldn’t make a sound. Looking first one direction and then the other, she realised it was clear and they could proceed. She gave him a wave and together, they crept out into the open. They crept along the side of the house and into the open once more.   
As soon as they left the protection of the house, the bitter wind bombarded them with its icy fingers. Hermione shank into her jacket, wishing to hell that she still owned her scarf; it had been abandoned when they’d fled Hogwarts in a hurry. It wasn’t the first time she longed for it, and a good pair of gloves wouldn’t have gone amiss either. Maybe she should organise a raid to a clothing store and get some.  
“The faster we move, the warmer we’ll both be.” His gravelly voice jerked her from her thoughts and she nodded. His lips were turning a rather despondent shade of blue and his skin was paler than ever. Picking up the pace in response to his request, she found he was right. They trotted along a long forgotten road in silence until they reached a crossroads. Pausing for a moment, Hermione’s stomach made the announcement that it needed food. She hadn’t eaten since noon the day before and she sighed. Swinging her pack from her back, she dug into it and pulled out another foul-tasting chew bar that served as trail rations. “What is that?” Severus asked as she took bite of the awful stuff.  
“Hard tack.” Her answer was crisp and he frowned.  
“Pardon?”  
“Used to pass as food for sailors, it’s a mix of flour, water and I think its sawdust.” He pulled a face but didn’t hesitate when she broke a piece off and handed it to him.   
“Definitely sawdust,” he said after tasting it.  
“It’s surprisingly good at keeping you going, even if it is gross.” She swung her pack back onto her shoulder and took a step forward. “We’re making good time. The next safe-house is still a few hours away though so we should keep going.” He gave a curt nod and they set off once again.  
The problem occurred when they were approaching the safe-house. They both stopped and ducked beneath the grass as the moaning started. Between them and their destination, were four shambling Restless. Mindless dead creatures they were. One of them looked as though it had been dead for many years; stretched, thin flesh hung from bones that showed through in several places. Rags hung from its shoulders, the vague remains of trousers clung to discoloured hips. The female of the four wore a tattered dress and was missing an eye. Lank hair clung to mangy skull and she shambled behind the others. The other two males were in better condition, they scanned the landscape for anything that resembled life.  
Hermione held her breath, knowing that a single sound would give away their position. Carefully, she unslung her crossbow from her belt. Severus gripped her arm, showing her the large knife he held in his hand. He made a couple of gestures and she nodded. They rose together. She aimed, let her breathing slow, and released. The woman was taken down. The other three turned. She’d reloaded as she stood, re-aimed and fired. The shot went wide, taking one in the shoulder rather than the head. Useless. They had to be shot in the head!   
Now they were shuffling over to them. The key was to kill them quickly before they could make a lot of noise. Noise would attract more of them and make travelling nearly impossible. She yanked her knife from her side and strode forward. There was no hesitation in her actions, only the sure confidence of many past kills. She brought her hand up, ducked around one of the remaining males as it reached for her and plunged the knife into the back if its head. A squelch, then a flood of greyish, brown fluid ran over her hand. Yanking her weapon free, the Restless fell to the floor with a bitter thud. The other two were making their way towards her dark companion.  
She watched as he dispatched first one, then the other, with cool efficiency. The blade he handled was clearly a weapon with which he was very familiar. He flicked disgusting matter from the blade and gave a curt nod. Approaching him wordlessly, she jerked her head towards the door and they entered the gloomy safe-house. A deep, forlorn cry echoed across the open fields and they exchanged a knowing glance. Hastily, they found the ladder to the upper floor, scrambled up it and pulled it in.  
Scampering over to the window, they looked out across the darkening fields to see the shambling, shuffling movements of a multitude of Restless. “Looks like we’re going to be here a while, that’s a rather large pack.” Hermione whispered.   
Behind her, she felt the man nod his agreement. “Could be well over a hundred of them there.”  
“Might as well get comfortable,” she said. Then she remembered that there were no couches in the house. She swallowed and shook her head. Surely she was old enough to not get worked up about trivial details such as this. Leaving the window, she crossed the room and pulled some of the blankets out of the wardrobe and threw them onto the metal frame double bed. There were a few tins of food on the shelf and she helped herself to a couple. Opening them up, she took one of the bowls and mixed the contents together, making something that could be passed for a meal. She also removed one of the water bottles and handed it to her companion. He took it and remained looking out the window as she began to eat. When he joined her sat on the bed, she passed him the bowl and he too ate his fill.  
“I’ll take the floor,” he said when he placed his bowl on the windowsill.  
“Don’t be an idiot.”  
“It’s not ri-“  
“Severus, it’s bloody freezing already and as soon as the sun’s been down for more than half an hour it’s going to get worse. I’ll not have you sleeping on a cold floor when there is enough space for both of us in the bed,” she snapped. “It’s not like we’re going to be naked or anything,” she added for good measure. Slowly, he nodded.  
“Very well,” he murmured. She kicked off her shoes, placed her pack by the side of the bed, her knife on top of it and her crossbow by the side. Then she jumped under the blankets and curled into a little ball. She hadn’t been wrong when she mentioned that it was damned cold. Once more, she found herself longing for the comfortable beds of Hogwarts and the warmth of a fire. The bed creaked as he shifted and joined her beneath the blankets. A chuckle escaped her lips and he raised a brow.  
“Sorry, never thought I’d see the day I’d be in bed with professor Snape…” she trailed off at the look of fury in his eyes. Slowly, it changed and he too began to chuckle. A low, gentle sound that she’d never heard before.  
“Go to sleep Granger, we’ve a long way to go yet.” This night, sleep found her almost instantly.


	5. Chapter 5

Despite her earlier reassurances, Severus didn’t sleep at all that night. It didn’t seem right sharing a bed with one who had once been his student. All he could picture was the bushy haired young child who was desperate for his, and everyone else’s for that matter, approval. Sure, she’d grown into an attractive adult now; he hadn’t failed to notice that. The way she moved had aroused long dead sensations and as his prick had twitched, he’d cursed inwardly. Telling himself that she was the first friendly female he’d seen in long years hadn’t helped much and now he was lying on the same bed as her. He kept his breathing even, regular and hoped to Merlin that she’d not notice the tension thrumming through his body.  
She sighed in her sleep and rolled over, facing him. In sleep, her face was much calmer, the worry lines around her eyes faded and she looked younger than ever. Groaning, he flipped away from her and forced his eyes shut. It reminded him sharply of their difference in age and how inappropriate it was for him to be next to her. His mind made up, he began shifting off the bed. A hand grasped his wrist, stopping him dead. “Don’t even think about it,” she muttered. Sighing, he relaxed back onto the bed as best he could.  
“Are you so desperate to share your bed with me?” he hissed.  
“It’s bloody freezing,” she said. In the gloom he could see the warm expression on her face, not expecting anything more from him than shared heat. He closed his own eyes and let out another sigh. Why was this always so bloody difficult? Maybe he should have stayed on his own, maybe… A warm body snuggling into his side cut off his grousing. He froze. “I’m not asking for a lasting emotional connection Severus, just a little warmth.”  
“Turn away from me,” he barked. His voice sounded rough, even for him.  
“Jeez…” she hissed.  
“Turn away,” he insisted. When she still didn’t move, he rolled his eyes, “For once, just do as I ask you without huffing or questioning!”  
“I do not huff,” she said. She did roll over however and he let out a held breath. When she was settled, he curled around her, using his hand to pull her small body flush against his. She let out a gasp of surprise before snuggling into the blankets. Her hand patted his and he could hear her smile. “Thank you,” she whispered. He grunted a response. It didn’t help his situation all that much but she’d stop moving about if she was warm.  
He must have fallen asleep at some point during the night for when he next opened his eyes; she’d turned to face him again. Their legs were a tangle of limbs and she was pressed flush against his chest. Moving would just waken her but in their current position, he was very aware of her soft skin, her still plump breasts pressing against him and her scent. Her delicious scent assaulted his nose and the long forgotten pressure appeared in his crotch again. Well, it proved he was a man still, he snorted to himself. Still, best get out of the situation before she noticed and he embarrassed himself.   
“Hermione,” he whispered.  
“Mmpfff?” she murmured.   
Next thing he knew, pain erupted from his eye and he shouted, covering it with both hands. She tumbled from him, “Oh Merlin! I’m so, so sorry!” she gasped as she scooted into a sitting position. Slowly, the white and black spots faded from his eye, “Let me see!”  
“Leave it,” he said as he removed his hand. The light seemed overly bright and his eye throbbed a little but he didn’t think there was much damage done. Hermione’s hands covered her mouth and he frowned. “What?”  
“Look, I’m really sorry…”  
“What?”  
“I think you’re going to have a black eye. I didn’t mean to.”  
“I know,” he said. He rose from the bed and stepped into the cold air. He shivered a little and jerked his frockcoat closed. Crossing to the window, he looked outside. Pale sunlight flooded down from a clear sky. A harsh frost had bit into the ground, making the landscape look as dead as the rest of the world. There wasn’t a Restless in sight. He let out a deep sigh. “We can move on.”  
Hermione nodded, “Bathroom first!” she said.  
Twenty minutes later, they were on the road again. The wind had stopped at least and the temperature wasn’t as low as it had been for the past couple of days. “We should arrive back at camp at about midday,” Hermione said as they turned down a wider road. Grass showed through the cracks and there were a couple of abandoned cars. All of them rusted, most of them beyond repair.   
“I’m sure my presence is going to cause a stir,” he said. It was her turn to fall silent and just nod. “Are you sure you want to take me there?”  
“Why would you ask that?” she said, “I’m still having trouble realising that it’s actually you… the chances of finding someone you know alive is well, it’s just unheard of.”  
“Indeed,” he nodded. “Though I’m sure there are some who are going to raise questions about my past.” It was always going to be a sticking point. The truth may be known by some but there would always be those who questioned it. Always be the ones who wanted him as a scapegoat. Those who wanted someone to blame.  
“I’ll not hear a bad word against you,” she said fiercely. Her venom took him by surprise and he glanced at her sidelong. “You’ve been through enough; I won’t allow that ordeal to continue.” He raised a brow at her protectiveness, not sure how to take it. There was no trace of pity in her voice yet she had no reason to feel outrage on his behest either. He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and followed her, falling silent once more.  
The morning passed amicably enough, however when Hermione passed him another share of the disgusting hard tack and announced they were less than an hour away from their destination, he began to grow pensive, what if they did react badly? How much of that would one girl be able to negate? A grown, intelligent witch she was but she wouldn’t be able to fight them all. Maybe it would be best if he just slipped away. Nobody would truly want him there, not after everything that happened during the war. He ran a hand over his face, pushing oily hair from his face and let out a sigh. Hermione stopped and looked over her shoulder.  
“It’ll be alright,” she said stopping until she was walking alongside him. He grunted a response, not wanting to admit his thoughts to anyone. His thoughts turned inward, skirting over the events that had occurred back then. Dumbledore… he’d been so sure that his course of action had been the correct one, if only he could see what had happened since his demise. He couldn’t help but laugh, albeit inwardly, at the irony of it all. They’d fought and destroyed the Dark Lord only to have the world degenerate to this monstrosity.  
A small hand clapped his shoulder, disrupting his morose thoughts and he tilted his head to the side, “Not enough to render my almost blind, do you need to break my arm as well?” he groused. She had the decency to look flustered for a moment before letting out a loud burst of laughter. His eyes widened at that, he’d not expected her to laugh, yet he was far from offended.  
“Come on, it’s just up this path,” she said. The excitement in her voice was clear, “We can get a hot bath and some decent food as well!” she added as she pushed on. The thought made his knees weak. When was the last time he’d felt hot water caress his flesh? He couldn’t remember. The last time he’d had a hot meal had been about two months ago when he’d taken shelter from a vicious storm in a deserted house back up the A1.  
The path itself didn’t look like much; it was overgrown, shabby and secluded. He supposed that was the whole idea but as they followed it, it opened out. Ahead of them appeared to be a large, walled building surrounded by a chain link fence. There was a patch of ground and then another chain linked fence topped with vicious looking barbed wire. The building itself was a truly forbidding place. Made of dark stone, it too looked as though it was designed for security. “You live in a prison?” he asked, raising a brow.  
“It’s safe Severus. I’d rather be here in this ugly building and safe than in a pretty house under attack all the time,” she said. Her reply made sense and he nodded.  
“Wise choice,” he muttered. As they approached the building, his feet seemed to grow heavier. The thought of meeting all those people again made a knot in the pit of his stomach and he found his throat dry. He allowed her to lead the way, gaining a few extra moments of relative solitude before they were spotted. He took a deep breath as Hermione stepped from behind a large shrub and waved her arms over her head. A voice called out to them and she held up two fingers.  
“Come on,” she gestured. Taking a deep breath and swallowing any kind of emotion, he stepped out from behind the shrub as well. Slowly, they approached the gate, which was opened for them by an unfamiliar face.  
“Welcome back Hermione,” said the young fellow. The smile he gave her made his eyes narrow a fraction but he remained silent on the matter. Best not to say much until he learned exactly who these people were and where they all stood.   
“Thanks Matt,” she nodded before motioning for him to follow her. He inclined his head a fraction before doing so. Once they were inside, he afforded another look around. From this side of the building, all he could see was the large entrance and more barbed wire. The door was open however and she urged him through. “I need to let people know you’re here,” she said making it sound as though it was an apology. Ushering him into a little room, possible once a guard’s room, she sat him on one of the seats and smiled. “I’m going to find someone.”   
“Very well,” he said. He’d calmed his voice to the point where he sounded vaguely like he did in the classroom. When her hand gave his shoulder a squeeze, he frowned. Then she was gone. Whoever it was she brought, this next part wasn’t going to be easy.


	6. Chapter 6

After making sure Severus was sat down and not likely to run off, Hermione darted out of the reception room in search of someone in charge. Although she was quite high up herself, it wasn’t just her responsibility to make sure people were safe to let in. She had no fears that he’d be judged otherwise, he’d be valuable to their cause, but she couldn’t admit him on her own. She roamed the stark, white halls, looking for someone who would be able to help. It didn’t take long. Poking her head into the common room, she saw Harry chatting away with Moody about something.  
“Harry!” she squealing, knowing her excitement showed in her voice.  
“Jesus Hermione,” Harry said. He stood and looked over her, concern echoed in his green eyes, “What’s wrong.”  
“Look, I’ll explain everything, stop gawping and come with me.”  
“I’ll come too,” Moody said.   
“Yes! That’ll be great.” Without further conversation, she turned on her heels and headed back to the room where she’d left Severus. Her heart began to pound as they approached the door and she couldn’t keep silent any more. Pausing as she walked, the other two stopped behind her. “I should probably explain a little.”   
“Would be nice Hermione,” Harry said. A frown had marred his face and his arms were folded over his chest.  
“I found someone while I was out,” she started. Moody fixed her with his roving eye as she shifted from foot to foot. Wiping her sweaty palms on her trousers, she had no idea why she was suddenly feeling so off.   
“Who did you find?” Moody growled.  
“Look, don’t fly off the handle or anything,” she said as they approached the office. She swallowed; despite how dry her throat had become and stepped through the door. Taking a seat beside her erstwhile professor, she folded her hands in her lap. She watched as Harry’s eyes widened just as Moody’s narrowed.  
“She found me, Mr Potter,” Severus said. For this first time, he sounded like had back in the classroom and Hermione bit back a smile. Moody recovered first.  
“Severus?” His deep frown was marred only by the enlarged eyeball that insisted on roaming the room.   
“Yes Alistair,” he nodded. Hermione noted that his expression was back to the impassive mask it had always been and she folded her arms over her chest. Giving Harry a nudge, it startled him out of his shock and he shook his head.  
“Sorry, I’m just a little… surprised to see you.” Harry said. He moved to the other side of the small room and sank behind the desk. Moody followed. Hermione swallowed again, hoping to whatever God would listen, that they’d accept him like she said they would. “How have you been?”  
Severus looked down at his tattered clothes; she knew he looked far from his best and that would shock Harry almost as much as him being there alive. “How do you think?” he replied.   
“Where were you?” This time, it was Moody who spoke. His arms were folded over his narrow chest and his eyes were wary.  
“Wandering, alone.” Severus said. He didn’t offer any elaboration on his whereabouts and Hermione felt a stone form in her stomach.   
“For five years?”  
“Correct.”  
Silence descended. Harry shifted in his seat and Moody just glared. Hermione coughed. “Look, I know there’s a lot of unresolved issues between us all but I don’t think we should let one of our own wander about out there alone,” she said. Moody turned his eye to her but Harry looked thankful that she’d spoken. “A lot has changed since we last saw Severus. The least we can do is offer aid to one of the most brilliant minds the wizarding world knows.”  
“Quite right,” Harry said. There was a smile on his face again and she let out a small sigh. Moody nodded too, which surprised her. “I’m sure you’re keen to get cleaned up and such. Hermione, would you be able to show Severus to one of the cells?” he asked. She nodded willingly, happy enough that they seemed to have allowed him to stay.  
“We’ll discuss this,” Moody said. His tone was flat and he turned to Harry, who just nodded.  
“Come on,” she gestured to Severus who had fallen silent once more. He rose and followed her from the room. Her fists clenched and relaxed as she walked. They walked through the mostly empty prison. Evidence of other people living there was confined to the cells. A few personal items made each one unique and the place had a general lived in feel to it. At the end of the block, were a few vacant cells, all of which were open. “You may as well pick one,” she said with a quick wave of her hand.  
“Who has the keys?” he asked before he even looked at them.  
“Harry has a set, there’s one in the first cell which also has a few things in it for everyone’s use. Like extra blankets and the like. These cell doors are never locked, the outer doors are sealed at night and so are most of the internal ones, in case there is a breach overnight.” Hermione explained as he began to look around.  
“How many people are there here?” he asked.  
“Fourteen, not counting you.”  
“All the time?”  
“Of course not. There are always patrols going out during the day and often, many of us are out searching for clues, knowledge or anything that may well give us a clue as to what happened.” Hermione explained. "Currently, there’s not that many of us here.”  
He selected one of the cells; furthest from anyone else’s and set his pack onto the floor. The knife followed and he sat on the edge of the bed. Hermione watched as a flicker of an intense emotion washed over his face for a moment. As soon as it appeared, it was gone and she shook her head. He rose, flicking oily hair back from his face and caught her eye, “What?” he asked somewhat defensively. Her heart quickened at being caught witnessing the emotion and she felt a flush rise on her cheeks, yet she didn’t know why.  
“I’ll show you where the shower room is.” She managed to stammer out before turning on her heel and striding off. His footsteps echoed behind her, at least he was following!  
The shower room was nothing like they’d had at Hogwarts but it wasn’t unpleasant. She knew he would relish the thought of being clean again and the expression on his face was a picture when he saw it. Hermione pulled a towel from the nearby rail and handed it to him with a nod. “If you put your clothing in that basket there, it’ll be cleaned for you.”  
“I’m not sure what will be left once it’s been done,” he muttered as he took the towel.  
“There’s clean clothes in the hamper just there,” she pointed to it and he nodded, “We don’t often get people from the outside but when we do find them, they often need new thing to wear.” The image of him walking around naked made her flush slightly and she dismissed it back to where it came from. He looked over at the stalls and nodded. “I’ll wait for you just out there, take as long as you want though, I have a book.”   
“You have books?” This time, there was no mistaking the spark in his eyes. She nodded and some of the tension seemed to leave him.  
“Not many b-“  
“As long as it’s not Jane Eyre…” he muttered, cutting her off. She looked a little puzzled at that but smiled anyway  
“We’ll visit the library after you’re clean ok?”  
“Don’t you wish to shower too?” he asked finally.  
“More than anything but unless you’re completely comfortable with me in there with you, I shall wait until later.” His slight flush and open mouth told him everything and she turned away with a smirk.  
“Hermione…” She looked back over her shoulder and raised a brow, “Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome.” 

***

He didn’t reappear for a good forty five minutes. Hermione didn’t mind, she could remember how she was when they’d first had showers at their disposal. She’d showered daily, sometimes twice, for nearly a month until Harry had told her it was rather excessive. She ran her hand through her curly hair and snorted, it was getting long again, reaching past her shoulders. At first, the boys had tried to convince her to get it cut short, like Tonks’ hair but there was no way she could do it. She’d tried to tell them that although the world had changed, she still wanted to feel like a woman on occasion.  
Severus reappeared wearing an oversized pair of black jeans and an enormous polo neck black jumper. She smiled at the look on his face, something between a scowl and a frown, “Nothing else even remotely fit,” he grunted.  
“How do you feel?” she asked. He looked at her stunned for a moment and she clapped him lightly on the bicep.  
“Clean,” he said.   
“Library then?”  
“Don’t you wish to shower first?” She flushed a little, taking this to mean that she didn’t smell too pleasant after their time on the road and she nodded. “I will wait for you here.” She scooted into the shower without another word and set about cleaning both her body and her hair. It never took her all that long and within fifteen minutes, she stood before him once more, clean with her hair wrapped in a towel. “Better?”  
“Yes,” she replied, “I probably smell it too!”  
“That’s not what I meant,” he said dryly. She gave a little shrug before smiling again.  
“Now, the library isn’t much,” she said as they started walking again, “But it’s what we have and I find comfort there more than anywhere else.” He only gave a curt nod as they walked through the prison. The room she stopped at looked like a classroom with heavy bars on the windows. Although the room was gloomy, she knew there were plenty of books on the shelves. “Go and have a look round,” she encouraged as she leaned against the doorjamb. She was trying to judge his reaction from his carefully schooled face but he gave nothing away. With a small sigh, she followed him into the room.


	7. Chapter 7

The hot water cascading over his skin for the first time in five years had been divine. He’d spent a good twenty minutes scrubbing the grime and grease from his black hair and ensuring that it was thoroughly clean. Then he’d washed it again. It felt amazing to not be covered in grime and dirt. He felt lighter than he had in years and he allowed himself to smile about it while he was alone. He may not be completely comfortable with where he was and who he was surrounded by but damn it, he had clean underwear on and that went a long way towards making it alright.   
Hermione had then insisted on dragging him to the library in a move that was typical for her, even after the major changes that had happened. He’d walked silently, taking in his surroundings. It was all a little overwhelming and he found the lump that had settled in his throat was refusing to shift. Instead of responding to her prattling, he decided that a good look around was in order. It would give his tumultuous emotions a chance to settle and besides, he desperately wanted to read something that wasn’t classic literature. Making sure his face gave away none of his inner thoughts; he paced around the library while Hermione leaned against the doorjamb.   
When he found the section on magical arts, he nearly broke. Picking up a long forgotten volume, he flicked the pages open and let out a sigh. Hermione chuckled low in her throat but he didn’t have the willpower to turn around and berate her for it. He’d more likely crack and make a complete fool of himself instead. He took a long moment to steel himself for the next part. Turning around, he gave a brief nod and she smiled, “Hungry?” she asked.  
“Yes,” he muttered. His stomach let out a deep grumble and she smiled.  
“Come on, it’s not dinnertime yet but there will be food that we can steal.”  
He merely nodded and followed her to another part of the prison. It turned out that the mess room was back near their cells. He made sure he knew where all these places were and that he would be able to remember them. The mental map he made would no doubt come in handy over the next few days; he would hate to get lost and have to ask someone like Potter for help. Hermione ushered him into the room and made him sit on one of the plastic benches. She returned a moment later with two bowls of steaming hot stew.  
Looking down at the bowl she’d placed in front of him, he placed his hands around it. It was warm. No, it was hot. He was sat at a table with a bowl of hot food in front of him. At that moment, he was glad his hair still fell over his eyes when he looked forward. The lump in his throat returned and he swallowed hard. Hermione had pushed a spoon into his hand and was busily digging into her own meal. Slowly, he lowered the spoon and dipped it into the thick gravy. Placing the warm food in his mouth, he swallowed and felt the heat tumble down his throat and into his belly, settling in the old familiar way.  
As he ate some more of the divine food, he felt his resolve crumbling. He sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, unaware of anything else. Trying to eat the rest was futile unless he wanted to choke on it. He screwed his eyes shut and pushed the ordeal to the back of his mind, not wanting his companion to see how he was affected by the simple kindness he’d been shown.   
He was startled back to his location when warm hands brushed against his. A concerned voice penetrated his thoughts and he looked up a fraction before realising his cheeks would be wet and visible for everyone to see. “It’s alright,” Hermione whispered softly.  
“How is any of this ‘alright’?” he hissed.  
“The first time we ate stew here, I cried all night.” His frown deepened at her sympathy but she continued anyway, “And that was after a mere six months on the road. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like after five years.” She slipped her warm hand into his cool one and gave it a squeeze. He found that he was gripping it back and that he was unable to stop the tears now they’d begun. Looking down at the table, he let the water spot onto it unhindered as the emotion raged through him.  
Pathetic fool, he cursed himself, don’t make yourself look so weak in front of Granger. She didn’t seem to mind overly much but that wasn’t the point. He’d never been one to show his feelings and now was not the time to make such a change. “It’s alright to be human Severus,” she whispered as though she’d guessed his line of thought.  
He snorted and wiped his cheeks on his sleeve before sniffing rather loudly. She pressed a tissue into his hand and smiled softly. After he’d blown his nose, he dared to look up. Her gaze was sympathetic but not pitiful, for which he was very thankful. “Thank you for the stew,” he said picking up the spoon once more. He saw the sting in her eyes but did nothing to relieve it. It was bad enough that she’d seen his emotional display, no need for him to mire her down with his internal thoughts as well. This time, he was able to eat the stew without another outburst.  
When they were both done, he stood and picked up both of the empty bowls, “What do we do with these?” he asked.  
“There’s a bowl behind the counter for washing the dishes in,” she said. He strode to the counter and washed them both quickly before turning back to her. She smiled and he nodded coolly. “I think you need to tell me how this place works,” he said.  
“Later,” she said with a wave of her hand. He folded his arms over his chest and gave her a level stare, “Don’t you look at me like that either! I have to make some notes on what I’ve discovered for the records and then I’m going to go to sleep. It’s been a long few days. I suggest you do the same.”  
He frowned at her sudden change in attitude but dismissed it almost immediately. If she wanted to play cool, it was fine with him. He picked up the book he’d left on the table and gave a nod. “Lead on then Granger,” he replied. She strode from the room and he followed, close on her heels. Once back in the cell room, he retreated back to his space, no longer craving company at all. Flopping onto the bed, he relaxed and flicked the book open. Time disappeared and before long, he felt his eyes grow heavy. Making sure his knife was in arms reach; he flipped onto his side and pulled the blanket over his body. It felt strange to be on a mattress, in a safe place that was warm. The warmth spread through him quickly and that, along with the hot food had him sleeping within moments.  
When he awoke again, it was dark. Blinding pain ripped through his belly and he grunted. Staggering to his feet, he pulled his wand into his hand and muttered, “Lumos.” Clutching his stomach, he made his way slowly to the bathroom. Once there, the pain intensified and it felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut. Curling around the toilet, his temperature dropped and he coughed up everything he’d eaten earlier. When the retching finally ceased, he was left trembling and cold on the floor. The ache in his stomach seemed to have lessened at least but it took a moment for him to summon the strength to get back on his feet.  
“Here, drink this,” an unfamiliar voice said from behind him. He turned his head slowly and took the glass of water. “Happened to me the first time I ate here too, and the time after that. In fact, it took about a week for it to take anything that wasn’t tinned or cold.” It was the young lad who had been on the gate, Matt.  
“Thank you,” he muttered after taking a long swig of the water. The lad nodded before heading into one of the other cubicles. Severus pushed off from the wall and staggered back to bed, shivering and hoping that he’d be able to stomach the food better in a few days. It had tasted divine after all! He’d got half way down the hall when he heard Hermione cry out. Snapping his head around, he walked to her cell. She was sound asleep yet tossed and turned in her bunk like a creature possessed. Unaware of what she was seeing, he slipped into her cell and sat on the edge of her bed.  
Comfort giving was not something he did normally, or ever. Yet she had been so understanding of his outburst earlier that he owed her something. Taking her hand in his, he gave it a squeeze, just as she had done. Instantly, the girl stilled and her crying ceased. Pressure on his hand made him start a little but she didn’t wake. He wondered why she hadn’t displayed such behaviour when they were out in the world but dismissed the idea for now. The cramps in his stomach had reappeared, driving most thoughts from his mind. He dearly hoped he wasn’t going to be sick again, doing so on the floor of Hermione’s cell would not only be embarrassing, it would make people ask questions as to what he was doing there in the first place. He swallowed hard and unlaced his fingers from hers. She didn’t cry out again and he silently, slowly left her sleeping where she was.  
Returning to his own bed, he slipped into the blankets and forced his eyes shut. Even if he did feel the urge to vomit again, he’d do so on his own floor rather than anyone elses. Sleep was a long time coming for him, and when it did finally arrive, it was haunted. His dreams penetrated by the ever present threat of the Restless.


	8. Chapter 8

As soon as dawn broke, Hermione was awoken by a disgruntled looking Ron and a stern faced Rolanda. She waved them away; already suspecting what this would be about and dragged herself out of her nice warm bed. The frigid air had gooseflesh all over her arms in a matter of moments and she pulled on a thick dressing gown she’d had the fortune of finding several months back on a raid. Wrapping it around her body, she slipped on her battered pair of trainers and followed the other two with a nod. Pushing her hair back from her face, she noticed that everyone else was either asleep or out. The sound of soft snores reached her and she dearly hoped that Severus had managed to get some rest. Somehow, she doubted it. It had taken her weeks to be comfortable enough in their safety to sleep properly. Even now, she had nights when she couldn’t find peace of mind enough to rest.  
Ron glared at her before ushering her into the room that had been converted into a meeting room. Harry and Moody were on one side of the table; Molly, Neville and Trelawney were on the other. Her heart sank as she knew what this would be about and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Sinking into one of the chairs, she rested her hands on the table in an open manner; there was no need to appear standoffish before they’d even begun speaking. Harry slid a hot cup of tea in front of her before coughing. Wrapping her cold fingers around the cup, she waited for them to begin. It was Ron who spoke first.  
“How could you do it Hermione?” he asked. His freckled cheeks were red and his eyes had dark circles underneath. He was clearly tired from lack of sleep, though that was nothing unusual for someone who had been out for a few days.  
“Do what Ron?” she asked, deciding to play innocent until his outrage was made clear.  
“Bring him here? After everything that happened.”  
“How could I not?” Hermione countered calmly. She took a sip of tea and let out a small sigh, “Is that what this meeting is about?” she asked, looking at the faces around the table. It was Moody who nodded.  
“There are some here that object to Severus’ presence among us,” he said. She couldn’t help wonder if he was one of them but dismissed the thought. Whatever Alistair Moody was, he wasn’t vindictive. “We wanted to speak of your experiences out there before we made a final decision about whether he stays or not.”  
Despite Moody’s calm explanation, she felt her ire rising. Her cheeks coloured as though she’d been slapped and she let out a snort. “And what is that supposed to mean?” she snapped.  
“It means that before any of this happened; he was on the other side!” Molly replied, “Some of us, myself included, feel that we need to be a bit more careful before we start letting in ex-Death-Eaters into our group.”  
Hermione let out a sigh; there it was, laid bare. “What do you want to know?” She flicked her hair back and glared at Harry, then Ron.  
“What was he like to travel with?” Trelawney asked. Hermione turned to look at the bug eyed woman and this time, did roll her eyes.  
“Honestly? Quiet. Like someone who had been missing company for five years and didn’t quite know what to make of it when he found it. I suppose a little relieved too,” she replied. She kept her tone level, despite the irritation she felt. Doing her best to swallow it down, she added. “Helpful in a fight too… We came across some Restless and he pitched in.”  
“As you would hope,” Harry added. She gave him a nod, knowing the doubts hadn’t come from him.  
“Any trace of-“  
“No, nothing Ron,” Hermione snapped, “Just another person struggling to survive in this god forsaken place that we call home.”  
“Now Hermione, there’s no need fo-“  
“Shut up Molly, if that was anyone else out there, you’d accept them without pause or question. Have none of you stopped to think how much help he could be? Not a single one of you has thought about our research?” Her gaze fell on all the faces around the table. Trelawney, Ron and Molly shifted uncomfortably. Rolanda met her stare levelly, as did Harry and Moody. “Is there anything else you want from me or can I leave this ridiculous meeting and go back to bed? Some of us have been working out there and need the rest!”  
Ron exchanged a pleading glance at Harry; Hermione rolled her eyes, “Look, for God sake! If you want someone to act as a guarantor for him, I will but I don’t think it’s really necessary!” With that, she left the little room, not wanting to hear the rest of the farcical meeting. Too angry to return to her room, she headed for the shower and the solace the hot water could offer her.   
As soon as she was under the shower head, she felt her anger being washed away. Slowly, as her temper cooled, she began to see why some of them would be suspicious of Severus. As far as they knew, he’d worked for Voldemort during the wizarding war and even though he had been cleared just before the outbreak, the events were hazy. His pardon happened at the same time and the Daily Prophet hadn’t made a big thing of it. Instead, they’d focused on the outbreak. The news had stopped shortly after that and the role of the ex-Death-Eater became insignificant.  
The sound of someone hurrying into the large bathroom, followed by vomiting made her pause. Turning off the water, she wrapped a towel around herself and stepped into the cold air of the room. Wrapping another towel around her shoulders, she crossed the room and waited for the toilet to flush, “Everything alright?” she asked.  
“Fine,” Severus’ voice grumbled. A moment later, he opened the door. His eyes widened and he shut it again, “Put some bloody clothes on woman!” he barked. Hermione let out a laugh and shook her head in mirth.  
“Alright, give me a moment.” She scooted back over to her cubicle and dressed herself, making sure she was dry before pulling on the warm clothes she had brought with her. “I’m decent.” He opened the door once more and gave her an appraising look. She, in turn, did the same and noticed that he was looking pale and drawn.  
“Rough night?”  
He nodded a response. “Not sure if I was ready for such food,” he muttered.  
“Maybe not.”  
“What about you? You look a little irate this morning.”   
“Well, I was dragged out of bed to attend an early morning meeting about a point that shouldn’t even need to be discussed.” Hermione wrapped a towel around her wet hair, squeezing the excess moisture out of the length before creating a turban with it. He raised a brow when she didn’t elaborate and a pang of regret went through her. Not at him being there but of her having to mention the ordeal in the first place.  
“They don’t want me here, do they?” he said. She was unable to hide her reaction or lie to him about it.  
“I told them that they were being foolish and that you could assist us as soon as you were better. Still, some of them demanded to know what you were like and such. I just told them that if there was a problem, I’d deal with it.” She missed out the part about being a guarantor, feeling it unnecessary and rather more hurtful than she wanted to be.   
“I see.”  
She looked him over once again before making a decision, “If you’re not up for breakfast, perhaps I can show you some of the tasks we have to do around here?” He nodded his agreement and she smiled. “I’ll pop these in my cell and meet you outside the library in ten minutes.” He nodded again and she turned on her heels and left him there.  
It didn’t take long for them to reconvene and when they did, she felt a lot calmer. Without a word, she led him to the front entrance again and out into the yard. Outside, the weather was crisp, clear and clean. A sharp frost had frozen the ground solid and given the whole area the look of a Christmas card. She wrapped her arms around her as the chill was a sharp contrast to the interior of the prison but she soon adjusted. “During the spring, we plant crops out here and tend them.”   
“Where did the seeds come from?” he asked as they walked over the cold ground.  
“Some of them were here already,” she answered as they picked their way through the rows, “Some of them we acquired from a nearby garden centre and some of them we filched from places we visited on our scouting trips. We try and keep enough produce to keep us going through the winter.”  
“How long have you been here?”  
“Two and a half years now. It was difficult in the beginning.” A bitter memory threatened to poke its ugly way into her thoughts but she pushed passed it, refusing to focus on the darker times. “We had very little food and this place was crawling with the Restless.” The pressure of his hand on her shoulder gave her pause and she looked behind her into his fathomless black eyes. His simple attempt at reassurance was enough and she brightened. “When the weather breaks, there will be shifts out here tending the garden, making sure the seeds are planted correctly and everything is well cared for.”  
“Who does this?” he asked as they walked around.  
“Neville Longbottom.”  
“Longbottom’s alive?” The frown on his face was almost comical and she chuckled.  
“Yes, he found us shortly after we fled Hogwarts.” Severus shook his head in wonder and they left the gardens behind. “The other duty out here is on the gates. We don’t get visitors and mostly, we’re left alone by the Restless but every so often, a group of them appear and have to be dealt with.”  
“How?” he asked.  
“Usually, we lure them to the fence and then kill them. Afterwards, we collect up the bodies and bury them in the woods.” She saw him nod a curt agreement before a shiver passed through her. A breeze caressed her skin and she swallowed, “Come on, it’s getting cold.” He nodded and they both headed back inside, there was still a lot to explain and then she had to make sure he was rota’d in for duties. God forbid they accuse him of shirking the work as well!


	9. Chapter 9

He didn’t think it was all that cold outside, if he was honest. Colder than summer surely but nowhere near as bad as it had been a couple of days ago. As they’d walked around outside the prison complex, he’d noted how organised everything seemed. If it was Potter who was in charge, it was a good change in the boy from the slovenly, slapdash attitude he’d displayed in the classroom. It was perhaps something he should know but when he opened his mouth to speak, he found the words just stuck in his throat. Coughing, he found his voice again but she’d already moved on. He gave a nod to the girl who was on the watchtower before following her inside.  
“Who was that?” he asked as the warm air hit his skin, bringing a flush to his pale face.  
“On watch?” he nodded, not trusting his voice all that much. “Linnie, she’s Matt’s sister.”  
“Muggles?”  
“Yes. They arrived here about six months ago,” Hermione said as she tossed thick hair back over her shoulder, “They’d been wondering out there for months and we just… took them in.”   
“Harry isn’t worried about the Muggles knowing about the wizards then?”  
“Doesn’t seem all that relevant anymore does it?” He let out a snort and nodded, she had a good point after all, although he could hardly imagine some of his old associates agreeing even now. The thought of Lucius Malfoy consorting with Muggles, even in the face of the apocalypse, was a stretch of the imagination. He frowned at that. He’d not thought about his old companions for a very long time and he couldn’t help wonder if any of them were still alive. Shaking his head to clear it, he noticed they were approaching the mess room and he schooled his face into impassivity.  
Hermione opened the door and Severus followed in as though it was somewhere he belonged, as though it had never been any other way. “Go sit, I’ll bring tea.” He nodded and found an empty sofa. Sinking into the soft seat, he closed his eyes and let the sensation settle. It was nowhere near as overwhelming as the hot food and warmth had been last night but it came close. A safe, warm couch was a real blessing.  
“Professor Snape?” a curious voice asked over the back of the sofa. He cracked open one eye and a young, fresh face surrounded by a halo of bright red hair drifted into view.  
“Not any more Miss Weasley,” he replied as he pushed himself into a more upright position. Professor or not, it wouldn’t do to slouch in front of her. She gave a squeak as he moved and his mouth tugged upwards at the end a little.  
“I suppose not,” she said. Her eyes flicked to Hermione, who brought over two mugs of tea. He watched the Weasley girl’s face drop in relief when Hermione plonked herself next to him on the sofa, “Hermione!” she exclaimed.  
“Hey Gin,” Hermione beamed.  
“When did you get back?”  
“Yesterday evening.”  
“Discover anything new?”  
“You might say that,” Severus said with a raised eyebrow.  
“I was wondering where you appeared from,” Ginny said. She wouldn’t look at him directly yet, instead, she stole furtive glances through the side of her bright eyes. It made him smile inwardly; at least he still had the capacity to make people nervous. Some things wouldn’t change at all, thankfully. The silence stretched between the three of them and he picked up the mug of tea on the table. He dearly hoped that his stomach would be able to handle something as simple as tea. Hermione and Ginny began chattering about their latest adventures out in the world as he listened and sipped his tea. Their talk became inane and he found that he was missing his cell and the book he’d started as well. It was good to be back with people and even better to be able to read something that wasn’t classic literature.  
Pushing his mug to the side, he stood and nodded to both women. Hermione gave him a questioning look but he shook his head. He knew where he was going and didn’t need an escort around the place at all times. At least, he assumed he didn’t. He left them talking and sought somewhere peaceful to relax. His cell was high on that list but as he was walking the corridor towards it, he was accosted by a dark haired, green eyed boy whom he had hoped to avoid for a few more hours.  
“Severus,” Harry said. He turned to face the lad, who was leaning in a doorway with his arms folded.  
“Harry,” he nodded in return.  
“I wanted to welcome you here in person,” he said with a scratch of his head. Severus could see the awkwardness of the boy’s stance but he was trying, that meant something.  
“Thank you,” he replied, turning to face him.  
“Would you mind…” he stood to one side and gestured for him to follow. Seeing that there was no escape from him, he did as he was bid and ducked into the small office room. “Please, sit.” As soon as Severus was settled, Harry continued, “Hermione has taken a big risk bringing you here,” he said.  
His eyes narrowed a little and he shook his head, “I shall leave if you find my presence here so odious,” he replied without giving the boy chance to explain, maybe he wasn’t as mature as he seemed.  
“That won’t be necessary,” Harry said, “I happen to agree with Hermione and think a mind like yours will be helpful in trying to figure out what has happened.” Severus gave him a slight nod as he made this point, “However, she has had to vouch for you to some of the other Order Members so I will say this.”  
He held up his hand at this point, “Stop.” Harry closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes, I’m going to ask you something now and I want you to think carefully before you answer.” Harry nodded, “What did Hermione tell you?”  
“You’ve been out there for five years.”  
“Correct. Five years alone. No one to help me, no one to watch out while I slept and no one to assist with any fighting that needed to be done. I don’t expect you to understand what that’s like nor do I want your sympathy. I do want you to think about this though. Do you honestly think I am so stupid as to put this newfound safety and companionship into any jeopardy? Hermione may have vouched for me but I assure you, it isn’t needed. I intend to help you as much as I can with whatever project you’re running if I can stay here.” He hadn’t intended to sound as pleading as he did but he found he didn’t care all that much. Fending for himself had been a drain, he just hadn’t realised how much so until he’d arrived here.  
Harry cleared his throat and nodded, “I understand that well enough Severus, however not everyone is as open as I am. I will also still add that if you let her down, you won’t stay here any longer.”   
Severus sighed, it seemed as though his past was something he was destined to always have loom over him like a black shadow. Maybe he deserved it; he had been responsible for the death of the boy’s mother after all. Running a hand over his face, he nodded, not bothering to fight the other man’s apparent low opinion of him. “So be it,” he muttered. “Was there anything else?”  
“I’m glad you’re alive,” Harry said after a pause. He extended his hand and for a moment, Severus could only look at it. Blinking, he grasped it and gave it the briefest of handshakes. He didn’t speak however, not because he had nothing to say but more because he was too stunned to find any words that fit.  
“I’m going to bed now,” he muttered as he dropped the warm hand that clasped his slender fingers. Harry chuckled at him and nodded.  
“You’re on patrol tomorrow morning; I’ve given you the same duties as Hermione to start with, seemed like a good place to start.” Severus nodded at the boy’s words, still not fully grasping their meaning. When he finished speaking, he turned and headed back to his cell. Collapsing onto his bed, he picked up his book and flicked open the cover. He’d read it hundreds of times already when he was at Hogwarts but the familiar pages offered comfort as he skimmed the words once again. As he read, his eyes grew heavy and he slipped into a deep sleep, far better and more restful than the one he had the night before. This time, neither his stomach, nor the coming and going of the other residents, could disturb his rest.  
A warm hand slid onto his shoulder and he whimpered a small protest as he was roused from sleep. The contact wasn’t unwelcome however and he opened his dark eyes, warm brown irises met his, glowing with cheer as his mouth jerked into a smile. As soon as it had bloomed he let it fall from his face and he frowned a little, “What is it?” Without knowing it, his hand had covered hers and she appeared to be grinning.  
“I came to find you to see if you wanted to try eating something again?” Her voice was soft and he nodded.  
“I’d like that.” Her palm turned and she gave his cold hand a squeeze.  
“Good, it’ll warm you up and hopefully, you’ll keep it down too.”  
“I’d rather not spend the night with my head down the toilet again,” he nodded. He gave her warm hand a squeeze back before sitting upright. How she’d come to be sitting on the edge of his bed he had no idea but he was glad for it. He blinked a couple of times, clearing the last of sleep from his head and nodded. “You need to move if I’m to get up,” he said as he dropped her hand.  
“Oh! Sorry,” she mumbled before scooting out the way. When she’d stood, he swung his legs off the mattress and rose upright with a yawn and a stretch.  
“Lead the way,” he muttered. She shot him a glance which only confused him further before walking out the cell. He couldn’t help notice the wiggle in her walk as she moved. Had it always been there or was she being sassy? He wasn’t sure but was content to follow her, hoping that the food would stay down this time when he tried to eat it.


	10. Chapter 10

The alarm sounded that night. Hermione was ripped from a particularly comfortable dream she’d been having where she’d been relaxing in a verdant green field. There was no threat and the pervasive calm had permeated her very being. The alarm neatly destroyed that and she sat bolt upright reaching for her wand. It took a moment for her to recall that she didn’t have one anymore and she cursed. Pulling on her shoes, she grabbed her crossbow instead and dashed out of her cell and into the foyer. “What’s going on?” she asked. Luna and Neville exchanged a glance with her before shrugging. The sounds of everyone crawling from their beds and dashing about filled the air. Panic surrounded her and her heart began to thud in her chest.

“What’s the matter?” the calm voice of Severus met her and she gave a shrug as she turned. She was pleased to see he was armed as well.

“I have no idea.” Neville replied. He shank back a little when he realised who he was speaking to but soon rallied when Luna gave him a nudge.

“Come on,” Luna said, her voice as dreamy and ethereal as ever. “Only one way to find out.”

Hermione didn’t even nod; she just strode forwards towards the entrance of the block. She could hear the others behind her at least. Luna was beside her, her eyes shaper than ever. Hermione knew she’d seen as much as the rest of them but it had affected the girl in a profound manner. She was always alert, always ready and never seemed to relax. Hermione had never seen or heard her cry about what had happened or who she’d lost. She just seemed to absorb the horror and remain who she was. How Luna did it, Hermione didn’t know. Dismissing the thoughts, she snapped her attention to a pale-faced Harry, “What is it?” she whispered.

The claxon of the alarm had now ceased and they all stood waiting, silently, for the boy to answer. “It’s the fence,” he replied. His voice was low, as though the Restless would be able to hear him from this distance, “Lavender, Molly and Hagrid are already out there. They’re near the garden.” Harry explained. At this, Neville’s face lost its colour and he leapt towards the door.

“We have to help them,” he hissed.

“Yes, we do but not in a rush and not without a plan,” Harry said. Hermione found herself nodding.

“How many of them are there?” she asked.

“Enough. You three,” here, Harry pointed at Hermione, Luna and Severus, “Exit here and creep to the other side, we’ll give you five minutes. We can then go at them together.” Hermione nodded, it was a good idea. She just hoped those out there would have enough to last until they got there. A quick gesture and she was making her way towards the door, hoping the others were with her. They were. The door was opened and they crept through carefully. She placed an index finger on her lips and unslung her crossbow. Severus had his knife in one hand, his wand in the other. When she saw that, she shook her head and gestured for him to put it away.

Wands were fabulously useful of course but in a fight like this, it would only serve to attract more of the Restless. If the fences were down, they’d need it quiet and still so they could repair them, not have more of the dead things clamouring after them. Severus frowned but tucked his wand back into his sleeve before creeping after her. Luna was armed with a large mace-like weapon that Hermione knew she could wield with skill. 

Outside, the cold air bit straight into them, finding the gaps in their clothing and chilling them in mere seconds. Hermione wrapped her arms around her as she led her small group along the edge of the building. It didn’t take long to locate where their companions fought, nor did it take long to get themselves into position. She nodded towards the fight, spotting that all three of them were still standing and making good work of killing the Restless that threatened to overwhelm them. “As soon as you see the others make their move, kill as many as you can,” she whispered. It seemed unnecessary to tell them that, but the silence was making her nervous. She crossed her legs suddenly aware that she was bursting for the loo.

The seconds dragged out as though they were hours, they could do nothing but watch the desperate battle play out in front of them. Lavender was dangerously close to being surrounded, Molly and Hagrid fought desperately with what weapons they could get hold of. The huge man was fending off four of the creatures, Molly was occupying three. More of them poured through the broken chain-link fence. Hermione found her mouth suddenly dry as one of them grabbed a hold of Lavender’s arm, it tilted it’s head back and opened its mouth as wide as it could before descending. Standing, Hermione aimed her crossbow and loosed, taking the creature in the eye. She ducked down as fast as she’d stood but it was too late, they’d been seen.

Some of the Restless turned and began shuffling over. “Go!” she shouted standing once more. Her two companions rose and they strode towards the fray. She picked her targets as she moved, firing and reloading, dropping as many as she could before they were too close. She thought she caught four before pulling her blade and stabbing the one closest to Lavender through the throat. Cold, tacky gunk flowed over her hand and she grimaced. The blood of the Restless was disgusting. Lavender, who was liberally covered in it, gave her a brief nod of thanks before turning to deal with the rest of them. 

The cries of her companions flooding from the prison surrounded her and her attention was drawn once more into the fight. Her knife in hand, she aimed it another of the Restless, driving it deep into the poor creature’s skull. She felt the bone crunch with a sickening crack and she had to push it back with her foot. No sooner as it hit the ground, she turned to find another one. This one she shoved back with her arms, using her weight to drive the creature away. Before it could gather itself, she stabbed it through the temple.

A deep, guttural cry from her left jerked her head around and she saw a creature hanging off the large arm of Alistair Moody. His red blood flowed into the broken mouth of a Restless. She could do nothing but stare at the rich colour as it ran onto the ground. Her eyes wide and her heart thudding, “No!” she cried as she forced herself into action. The man gave her a look filled with warning and shook his head. His teeth champed shut; he drew out a huge blade and knocked the creature on the side of the head, just as Ron arrived to beat the thing off. She let out a sigh and turned again.

This time, the stench hit her and made her stomach lurch. The smell followed these foul beings everywhere they went. Decay and death. The sickly sweet odour caught her every time but she forced her rising gorge down, there would be time for that later. A scream snapped her head around and she was in time to see one of the creatures tangle its dirty hand into Molly’s hair. This time, it was Severus who was ready with a knife. He plunged his blade into the back of its head and yanked it to the ground. The look on Molly’s face was gratifying and he gave her a curt nod before finding another deceased creature to fight.

A moan sounded at her feet and she glanced down to see one of them dragging itself towards her. She leapt backwards out the way of its snapping teeth and grimaced. The thing was in half, its legs somewhere else. Half of the creatures face was missing and the jaw was clearly broken. The grey skin and the dead eyes revolted her more than the gore that was trailing behind it. She raised her crossbow, not wanting to get close enough to knife the poor thing. A twang and the bolt sent it back to oblivion where it belonged. 

“Alright Hermione?” Harry asked. She looked up and noticed that the fight was over. Her friends face was covered with the same black ooze that covered her hands and she nodded mutely. He clapped her on the back before moving on. Numbly, she walked around the field. The garden was completely trampled and she shook her head. Neville looked crestfallen but she had no real time to worry about that currently. Alistair was cradling his wounded arm and Severus was seeing to it, assuming the role of medic almost naturally.

The fence! The fence needed fixing and quickly, lest the Restless overrun the paddock and they have an even larger fight on their hands. She spotted Lavender and Ron were dispatching of those Restless that were lying on the ground but not dead. She trotted over to Harry and Hagrid, who were seeing to the fence, “How bad is it?” she whispered as she approached.

“One of the posts has been knocked out. Nothing we can’t fix,” Hagrid mumbled in his low voice. She nodded and began helping Harry pick up the post. Her limbs screamed at the strain but she held fast, there was no one else to take the slack from her; they were all working behind her. Although it didn’t take long to get the post back into place, it felt like an age. By the time she was able to let go, her arms trembled from holding it upright and her legs were heavier than weights. She sucked in a ragged breath and turned back to the battlefield. The first light of dawn was just painting the sky a lemony yellow and she sighed.

Dragging herself forward, she knew she should help them but she was so damned tired and cold. A deep shiver passed through her and she wrapped her arms around herself again in order to keep warm. “Hermione?” Severus’ voice appeared next to her and she turned her head slowly.

“Hmmm?” she asked turning her head.

“I need to see to that wound on Alistair’s arm, can you help me?” She nodded mutely and followed him briskly back inside. As soon as she was there, the deep, gruff voice of Moody hit her and she knew the wound was bad. He was sat, pale faced in one of the side rooms where they kept the medical supplies. Severus was about to discover they were dangerously low on everything. Infection from bites was a major problem and she swallowed. She didn’t know if she could stand to lose another companion.


	11. Chapter 11

Severus busied around what passed for a medical room with a deep scowl on his face. There was nothing of use in any of the cupboards and the drawers were just as bad. How the hell was he meant to fight an infection with nothing? He was surprised Hermione hadn’t insisted on cultivating some herbs in the garden, it would go a long way to help them, especially with her knowledge, and that of Neville, he added grudgingly.

“Hermione!” he snapped. Swallowing when he heard how sharp he was, he shut the door softly and turned to look for her. Her pallor had not improved since the fight outside and he was worried that she would fall into a swoon. She looked around and blinked a couple of times. “Snap out of it girl!” he barked.

“She’s always like this after a fight.” Moody growled as he held his still bleeding arm, “Give her about ten minutes and she’ll be back to herself again.” 

He gave a curt nod before turning back to his patient, “Is there anything that resembles a first aid kit anywhere in this building?” he asked. Moody had begun to pale; a slight sheen of sweat forming on his skin, though that could be because of the pain he was in.

“Not anymore,” he replied. 

“Bandages?”

“Try the bottom drawer,” Moody said as he indicated a drawer beneath the table on which he sat. Severus yanked it open and discovered there were indeed a few supplies in there. A triangular sling, an extra-large torso dressing and a few gauzes were all that was left. Snatching up the massive body dressing, he tore it from the package and unravelled it. Placing it on the wound, he staunched the blood with minimal effort and waited for a while.

“So, there are no other supplies within the prison?” he asked.

“No,” Hermione said as she sank down beside Moody, “When we arrived, there was enough to treat whoever was injured but we’ve run low on supplies.” 

“And you didn’t think it worth the effort to go and collect some more?” he asked as he tied off the bandage.

“Of course!” she replied. “But there’s the little problem of the Restless between us and the new equipment.” He gave a nod and urged her to continue as he stepped back and looked at the oversized bandage on the scruffy man’s arm. “Perhaps we could have gone and raided one of the towns but the Restless are not the only dangers around. Pontefract, the nearest town, is ruled by some people you’ll be keen to not see.” Her demeanour changed when she mentioned these people and his spine stiffened.

“Who?”

“The Malfoy’s,” she said. His black eyes met her amber ones with a steady gaze.

“Lucius is still going then?” he asked as he raised a brow. She nodded, remaining silent on the matter, making him wonder whether there was more to it or not. Dismissing the thought until a later date, he turned back to the matter at hand. “Either way, we need medicine. The worst kind of bite for infection and passing disease is the human one. It’s liable that Moody here will fall ill and die as I have nothing to clean the wound with.”

“Thank you for your overwhelming confidence in my vitality,” he muttered. Severus shrugged, there was no point hiding the truth from the bad tempered man.

“I’ll speak to Harry, perhaps we can make a trip into Pontefract for some bits,” she said. Her tone of voice told him that she was more than tired. It was the shock of the fight no doubt and he merely nodded a response.

“Alistair, I advise you do nothing more strenuous that perhaps eat.” The man grunted before leaving the room on steady feet. Without him beside her, Hermione slumped backwards and let out a sigh. Severus took her hand in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. “We should fetch some supplies and see if we can find some herbs to plant in the garden,” he said. She half opened one of her eyes and nodded.

“I’ve been suggesting it for months but after a vicious fight the last time we went there, Harry is reluctant to send us there again,” Hermione said. Her hands curled up and clasped his in hers. He was distressed to notice how his pulse quickened and how her pupils dilated as well.

“I’d go with you,” he said.

“I know, maybe just the pair of us could go. It would be safer at least.”

“Hmm,” he nodded. He wanted to say something more, something that would comfort her but the words died on his lips and he found that all he could do was stare at her like some adolescent boy. Hermione scooted a little closer to him and the next thing he knew, her arms were around his narrow waist and her head rested on his shoulder. What the hell was she even doing? Had she forgotten everything about who he’d been? Still, his temperature rose as she embraced him and he knew his cheeks were flushed.

“This is the part where you put your arms around me too and tell me we’ll be alright,” she whispered in a low, soft voice. He complied with her first wish but there was no way he felt comfortable with the second.

“It would be a lie,” he replied as she relaxed in his arms. Her weight was slight but she felt amazing when she leaned against him. It had been so very long since he’d had someone elses arms around him. He couldn’t even remember how long ago it was now.

“Then lie to me,” she replied. The slight tang of blood hit his nose as she shifted a little but it didn’t make the situation disgusting. Her scent was beneath the smell and that was what he savoured.

“I’m not going to lie,” he said. Maybe he should but he couldn’t bring herself to do so. Maybe to anyone else, but not to her, he let her hold onto him for a long moment until a slight cough at the door brought him back to where he was. Lavender was standing in the doorway. Hermione straightened and he let his arms fall to the side.

“Pardon, didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said, a deep flush on her face coloured her red all the way to the tips of her hair.

“It’s nothing Lavender,” Hermione said. Her word stung more than he thought they would. Clearly it wasn’t ‘nothing’, not to him at least and if she thought he would be free with his affections then she had another thought coming! He folded his arms over his chest in displeasure and turned to Lavender with a stern expression on his face. The poor girl paled visibly but he refused to hide his irritation at the interruption.

“What can we do for you?” he asked. None of his annoyance showed in his cool voice however and Lavender relaxed a little.

“It’s Hermione I need,” she said. He gave a nod and stepped away from her. Hermione jumped off the bed and stretched her arms up, appearing to shake off the stupor she had been in not moments before. 

“Alright,” she said, “I’ll see you in a bit Severus.” He gave her a nod before she turned away. The moment she left, the room was colder and he felt the walls close in immediately. Dismissing the thoughts as idiotic, he cleaned the room up with the few supplies that were there before heading back to his cell. He needed to have a serious word with himself about what was going on.

As soon as he returned to his cell, he threw himself back on the bed and forced his eyes shut. Don’t lose your head just because someone bothered to hug you. All she was after was a little bit of comfort after the fight that had her friends nearly killed. That was all, nothing more and nothing less. Sure, it may have been the first warm body against yours for an eternity. The thought made wayward parts of his body react in long forgotten ways and he grumbled under his breath. This was ridiculous! Rolling over onto his side, he forced the whole thing from his mind and willed it to be silent. Hermione was just being a friend and needed some comfort. He kept that thought in mind as he picked up his book. Opening it to the last page he’d been reading, he took some comfort in familiar words he found there. Eventually, his eyes became heavy and he drifted off into a heavy slumber.

He was awoken a few hours later by a hot hand pressing against his cheek. His eyes flicked open as his hand caught the one on his skin. Before he knew what he was doing, the skin was pressed to his lips and he had laced the fingers with his own. He knew exactly who it was, he recognised her scent. “What is it?” he asked as his eyes met Hermione’s.

“We have permission to go to Pontefract.” Hermione whispered. He noted that her eyes had also widened and that she looked slightly flushed. Was that from the contact of his mouth on the back of her hand or had she been flushed already?

“What changed Potter’s mind?” he asked, using the boys surname like he always had without thinking.

“Moody is sick.”

Severus paled; he knew exactly what that meant. If he died because of the bite, he’d be a Restless after that. Something that everyone was keen to avoid. It would be most unpleasant if he had to be killed by one of their team. Hermione’s eyes reflected that horror and he knew it. Dropping her hand, he sat up from the bed and gave a nod.

“We need to leave as soon as we can, it’s nearly a full day’s walk from here and we need to move as quickly as possible.” Hermione said.

“Give me ten minutes.” She gave a nod. She gave his hand a slight squeeze before rising and leaving the cell. Looking around, he picked up his pack and began placing in it the things he knew he would need over the next few days. Dry clothes, a spare knife and above all, that book he’d borrowed from the library. He then added a couple of the rations he had spare from his time out there alone and sighed. This was going to be an awful trip!


	12. Chapter 12

For some reason, at the last minute, Rolanda had decided that she would join them on their little trip into Pontefract. The older witch had barged into Hermione’s cell with a wide smile and a pair of knives at her hips. She’d informed Hermione of her participation in the foray without preamble and left before she could protest. It had left her feathers ruffled and she stuffed the few things they’d need into her pack. She certainly hoped that Rolanda had permission to go with them, otherwise she’d be furious. Harry had worked so hard, along with the rest of them, to get them where they were. To blindly go about doing things without considering the safety of the rest of the group was just selfish. Hermione couldn’t see any reason for needing the other witch with them. She shook her head and shoved her book into the pack. No matter, they’d find what they needed to save Moody or die trying; there was nothing else for it.

With a deep sigh, she swung her pack onto her shoulder and picked up her crossbow. It was time to leave. As she stepped out of her cell, Severus did the same and she gave him a curt nod. He strode towards her and they both turned towards the exit. “This isn’t going to be easy,” she said in a soft whisper.

“I hear we have another joining us,” Severus said as they padded along the corridor. She nodded sourly.

“Not as I would have it,” she replied. “I was hoping if we left quickly it would be the two of us.” He raised a single brow at her but remained silent on the matter. She wasn’t even sure why she was so bothered about Rolanda accompanying them. She was an accomplished fighter and an extra pair of eyes while they ventured into dangerous territory. Hermione knew she should be grateful for her offer of assistance but couldn’t find it within herself to be so. 

Unfortunately, the slender witch was waiting for them at the gates. “Trying to sneak off without me?” she asked with her hands placed firmly on her hips. Hermione plastered on a smile and shook her head.  
“Come, we have a lot to do,” she said in order to avoid answering the question. She managed to catch the expression on Severus’ face as she spoke but didn’t react at all to it.

“You know the way?” Rolanda asked.

“Of course,” Hermione replied giving her an incredulous look. Had she forgotten their last trip there so quickly? 

“Let’s go,” Severus said from behind them. “Every minute spent talking here is a minute Moody gets closer to death.” 

It was a sobering thought and Hermione nodded. Rolanda turned as well and they all walked through the door. The moment they left, the cold wind bit into their flesh and Hermione knew they would be in for a long, uncomfortable trip. Bright sunshine stung her eyes and she raised a hand to shield them as they walked towards the prison gate. Neville and Luna were on duty that day and they waved them out silently, wishing them luck with a brief salute. The gesture was touching and reminded Hermione how far they’d come. She returned the gesture with a smile before turning back to the purposefully overgrown road that lead back out into the world.

They didn’t speak for a long while, each of them considering the task ahead, or so she supposed. Hermione’s thoughts were on her friends and how she was once again risking her life for them, as they in turn did for her. She was also aware that some of them had begun to accept Severus, which pleased her greatly. If he was willing to play the role of a healer in their group, he’d fill a gap they’d desperately needed. Healers were few and far between in this world and since Poppy had been killed two years ago, they’d lost more than a few people.

“Merlin that wind is cold,” Rolanda said after about an hour’s worth of walking.

“It’s going to get a whole lot colder,” Hermione answered as she shrugged deeper into her coat. At least it was thick against the wind and offered a little protection. Severus had donned his old coat over his new clothes and although the wind has coloured his cheeks a furious red, he looked warm enough. Rolanda on the other hand was ill-equipped for the elements. Her jacket was worn and offered no escape from the relentless cold. 

“I’ve brought blankets with me,” Rolanda said patting her pack behind her.

“There’s a safe house we can stop at tonight before we try and find what we need in the town,” Hermione said. “There should be some supplies there as well so warmth tonight won’t be too much of an issue, it’s between then and now that’ll be cold.”

Severus remained silent during the whole exchange, something for which she was grateful. For some reason, she didn’t want him talking to Rolanda all that much. Conversation fell short after the brief exchanged and although the older witch tried to make the odd comment here and there, the exchanges were brief. Hermione preferred to travel in relative silence; it made their passing go unnoticed by anyone who may be around them, both other people and any Restless that may be nearby.

By the time the sun was kissing the horizon, they’d made good time and approached the safe house. Inside, they climbed the stairs and made themselves comfortable for the night. It was almost identical in set up to the last ones they’d stayed in. The stairs had been demolished in favour of a rope ladder and a supply of tinned food had been left for any future visits. A stack of blankets was also available for them and these they spread over the floor of the largest room. This particular house had three rooms upstairs and they agreed to spend the night in separate ones. Hermione didn’t think much of the idea, it was far safer, not to mention warmer, to spend the night in the same room but the thought of sharing him with the other witch made her blood run cold.

Then it hit her. She didn’t like the idea of sharing Severus with anyone. That was why she didn’t want Rolanda with them. As the older witch passed her a plate of food she flushed a little, “Thank you,” she managed to mutter, too distracted by her new realisation to say much else. Severus gave a brief nod before sinking down beside her on the bed. Rolanda sat opposite them on a chair as they all began to eat.  
“What’s the plan then?” Severus asked when they had all finished and the plates were set to one side.

“Plan?” Hermione asked.

“We can’t just amble into the town, find what we need and leave surely?”

She flushed a little at that. That had been her plan exactly.

“I think it depends on what we see as we approach the town,” Rolanda said as she ran a hand through her short hair. Her tawny eyes flicked between them both before she continued. “I think, if we go into the town from the north, we’ll be able to creep closer to the centre without being spotted.” 

Hermione nodded, “Yes, if it’s anything like last time, the Malfoy’s will be in the south and we won’t have to worry too much about them.”

“Just the countless amounts of Restless instead.”

“Rather them than the Malfoy’s.” Hermione said. Rolanda nodded in agreement as Severus looked at them both expectantly. “The last time we did a supply run, we learned that they keep mainly to the south of the city because the north is crawling with Restless.”

“Is this a good thing?” he asked, a frown marring his brow. Both of them nodded together.

“The Malfoy’s still use the same methods they used before the war. A lot of the Death-eater crowd that survive run with them and they can be rather dangerous.” Rolanda said.

“It’s how we lost Minerva,” Hermione added. Severus nodded; it appeared that he agreed with their wisdom as he fell silent once more. 

“How did it happen?” he asked after a time. Hermione exchanged a glance with Rolanda, who merely starred at the floor for a long moment.

“We don’t know the full details,” Hermione said. Rolanda chose this moment to rise and bid them goodnight. Hermione knew the death of their friend still affected her deeply and she wasn’t surprised when the older witch decided to retire. “She was captured during a routine venture for more supplies when they made themselves known. A bloody battle ensued and she was captured. We tried our best to get her back but we were too late. What we found was her remains. There wasn’t even enough of her left to come back.” Hermione shook her head slowly, recalling the exact image of what they’d found to mind. It was horrifying and she still had nightmares about it to this day. “That was three years ago,” she added.

His hand closed over hers and she snapped her head around in surprise, “Losing a friend is never easy,” he said. He coughed and she gave his hand a squeeze, grateful for the small comfort he could offer her.

“No,” she muttered. Silence fell between them again and she felt the strong urge to leap into his arms once more. She didn’t have the courage to do so, however when he made to rise, she gripped his hand firmly. “Don’t go,” she said quickly. Her hand tucked a lock of black hair behind his ear before she knew what she was doing and she flushed. He tilted his head a little into the palm of her hand and a curious expression grew on his face.

“Why not?” he whispered.

“It’s cold,” she whispered, “And I don’t want to sleep alone.” He raised a brow at that and she flushed a brilliant red. “I don’t want anything else either but I’ve been so used to sleeping around other people that being alone is unsettling.” Her explanation didn’t sound any better in her ears and the flush refused to leave her.

“Do you always touch those you want to share your space with you so much?” he asked.

“No,” she replied, “Just you.”

A smirk spread onto his face and he toed off his shoes, she followed his lead and curled onto the bed. He settled behind her, curling his body around hers and pulling both of the thick blankets over them. His arm curled over her side and she snuggled back against him, “Thank you,” she whispered. Her hand covered his larger one and her eyes fell closed. She wasn’t quite asleep when she felt his lips press into the back of her head. That night, she fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	13. Chapter 13

Waking with the dawn had long ago become a habit for Severus. Waking at dawn with a face full of brown curls wasn’t but it was quickly developing into one. He just hoped that this time he wouldn’t end up with a sore eye. The bruising had faded from the last time at least and although it had swollen rapidly, at least it had gone down quickly as well. Still, the warmth of her body beside his and the comfort of the bed and thick blanket did much to soothe his fraught soul. He wondered if she’d mind overly much if he put his arm around her. Before he could second guess himself, he did it anyway and was rewarded by a soft murmur. Surprisingly, she snuggled back against him and he let his eyes drift closed once more. The scent of her hair surrounded him as he buried his face in her curls and he let out a deep sigh of his own. His feet were warm. For the first time in a long time, he was completely thawed out and comfortable. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing better than this. Maybe that seemed a touch trivial, maybe even a little bleak but that was what their world had become and little moments like this needed treasuring.

She rolled over, her arm draped over his waist and all of a sudden, the whole morning changed. Her sleep messed hair framed her dream relaxed face and her soft breath tickled his cheek. She’d moved onto his pillow and a soft smile graced her cheeks. He brushed a soft curl back from her face before he knew what he was doing and she nuzzled into his calloused hand. “Severus?” she whispered without opening her eyes.

“Hmm,” he whispered.

“What time is it?”

“First light,” he replied.

“Don’t make me get up just yet, let’s stay here for a little longer,” her arm tightened around him a little as she spoke and he was more than willing to stay right where he was. He opened his mouth to speak but she nuzzled into his chest, robbing him of most thoughts and certainly all speech. Instead, he curled his arm around her back and drew her close against him. She whimpered a little but didn’t push away or fight him. She seemed to relax even more if that was possible and he found the idea curious. His mind harked back to a day when the worst thing that might happen was she might not know the answer and interrupt his teaching. The start of a smile began on his lips and he let out a sigh; life had been so much simpler then, even with the threat of the Dark Lord’s return.

“What is it?” she asked when he’d tensed without realizing it.

“Nothing, I’m just thinking.”

 

“About what?”

“It’s not important.”

She seemed to accept that as an answer, which was a surprise, and returned to her contented snuggling. Her scent washed over him once more and he swallowed hard. Her proximity seemed to be having a profound effect on his long dead libido. The way she was pressing against his entire body would have her discovering the effect pretty soon and that was something he was rather keen to avoid. Though he wasn’t entirely sure why, she was pretty enough and she seemed to have gained a curious attachment to him. Why, he had no idea. As far as he was concerned, he was the same as he’d ever been. Not great to look at with a sour disposition. Still, here she was, pressing her warmth against him and not being commanded or forced to do so.

Before he could stop himself, he pressed his lips to her forehead. It was a warm, tender gesture and although he didn’t mean all that much by it, she shifted back a little. He looked into her tawny eyes as they searched him. The smile on her face gave nothing away but she tilted her head to the side a little before speaking. “Did you just kiss me?” Her tone was curious rather than outraged but he flushed none the less.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I don’t know why I did it.”

She didn’t answer with words; instead, she gently pressed her mouth to his. He inhaled sharply at the sudden contact and knew he’d gone rigid. All he could do was lie there, like a stone, as she held her lips against his. Moments later, she broke it and he cursed himself inwardly. The first physical contact he’d had for Merlin knew how long and he’d bloody well frozen. “Too much?” she asked with barely a whisper.

Shaking his head, he tried to find his voice. The first time he opened his mouth, nothing but a croak came out. Coughing, he tried again, “No Hermione, just… surprising.” Her hand caressed his cheek softly, brushing back strands of black hair, “It’s been a long time since anyone kissed me, I-“

“It’s alright,” she said, cutting off his words in an infuriating manner.

“No, it’s not.” His words came out a little sharper than he’d intended and he let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. Leaning forward, this time when their lips met, he relaxed in her arms and savoured the sensation of her soft mouth under his. He let out a little whimper as the moment stretched and her tongue nudged against his closed lips. He was about to part them when there was a rough knock on the door.

“Come on! Wake up!” Rolanda’s morning coach voice boomed through the door and Hermione sprang back away from him as if they were a pair of teenagers caught doing something they shouldn’t be.

“This is far from over,” she hissed as she threw the covers off and jumped off the bed. He gave a curt nod before sitting up. He was in no real state to stand just yet but sitting was manageable.

“We’re up and we’ve been waiting for you!” Hermione called. The door burst open and the bright eyed witch beamed at them both. When her eyes met his however, they darkened slightly.

“Still abed Severus?” she questioned. At that moment, he would be quite happy to throttle the stupid woman. Instead, he waved a hand and covered a theatrical yawn.

“Warm and comfortable is still somewhat new, I like to savour it while I can,” he said dismissing her complaint. “I shall be up and about in no time,” he added. That seemed to satisfy the bloody woman, who crossed the room and peered out of the window. Brilliant sunshine flooded into the room and she nodded.

“It’s going to be a fine day,” Rolanda said.

“Not what we wanted really,” Hermione said joining her at the sill. 

“Why not?” he asked.

“If the weather is fine, people are more likely to take to the streets. It’s a small point I suppose but if it’s raining, the Malfoy’s would be more likely to stay inside.” Hermione said. Rolanda nodded and he considered their words for a moment. It made sense. He knew it would be damned cold out there as well. Still, perhaps, if they were lucky and had a bit of time, he’d be able to find some shoes that didn’t have holes in them. Maybe some better fitting clothes as well. He knew it was a minor point, the clothes at least, but he had to ask and he voiced his request.

“I don’t see why not,” Hermione nodded, “We’re going to be near that side of the town anyway and nothing is better than a pair of well fitted shoes.” 

“I just hope we get in and out without attracting attention,” Rolanda said. He knew that was her way of stating her disapproval but it was two against one so it would happen regardless. Feeling that he was able to stand and not embarrass himself, he rose from the bed and pushed dark hair from his face. He picked up his pack, rearmed himself and gave a nod.

“I’m ready when you are.”

Within ten minutes, they’d left the safe house and were heading towards Pontefract. The route Hermione chose wasn’t on the main road, which was sure to be watched. It was over the overgrown fields. They provided plenty of cover until they reached the edge of the town. The landscape slowly changed from countryside to suburban and he found his fists were clenched by his side. He’d had more than a few experiences of towns since the change and none of them were good ones. Hermione’s tale of Minerva’s demise wasn’t exactly heart-warming either and he found his breath coming in short bursts.

“Relax,” Hermione whispered as she sidled up alongside him, “We’re all eyes and the tenser you are the more likely you’re going to jump at a shadow,” she added. Her small hand slipped over his and she forced her fingers to entwine with his. When she gave his hand a squeeze, he forced his breathing to even out and his other fist to uncurl.

“I don’t like this,” he stated.

“None of us do but Moody depends on our success,” she replied.

“I’ll not let anything happen to you,” Rolanda added. He nodded at both witches and followed their direction. They’d not let him astray this far and he had no reason to not trust them now. The suburban gave way to urban within fifteen minutes and as they walked, all their talking stopped. Hermione led them through gardens and down cuts rather than on the main roads and within a few short minutes, Severus had lost track of where they were. He kept reminding himself that they were only going to be there for a short while and that nothing bad could happen during this trip. However the deep nagging in the back of his mind that something was amiss would not leave him alone. The tall buildings loomed over them, cutting off the sun and the world seemed a whole lot darker here than it had this morning. He kept his eyes open and his ears alert as they silently made their way through the dark, forbidding town. Litter was scattered over the streets and here and there, a corpse lay abandoned by those that killed it. Of life, there was no sign at all. Not a bird chirped, nor an animal stirred. There was no one to mark their passing that he could see but still, the sensation of pending doom would not leave his mind be.


	14. Chapter 14

The only thing that was swirling through Hermione’s mind at that moment was the delicious taste of Severus’ mouth when it had met hers. The wizard’s lips had been softer than she could have imagined and the warmth that flowed through her was a welcome change. She could still feel the slight pressure of his mouth on hers; still feel his warmth as he enfolded his arms around her. The he’d be interested in her was a welcome piece of knowledge and she couldn’t wait to get him alone again so they could explore the notion a little further. Her whole body seemed to be alive with the prospect, attuned somehow to where he was and how he was moving. 

She stole sideways glances at him as they navigated the deserted streets. His movements were precise, accurate and careful. Hermione couldn’t help but wonder if he was that careful with his walking, how careful he would be as a lover. The thought made her cheeks flush and she hastily turned her head away from both her companions. It wouldn’t do to have them spying her blush and asking about it. The last thing she needed was Rolanda commenting and then laughing about her new infatuation. Dismissing the thought for the moment, she focused on the dark, looming houses around them. She couldn’t sense anything wrong with the place, no more than normal at least. There was no sign of life, or unlife either, for that matter for which she was glad. If they could make it in and out without seeing anything it would be a small miracle.

Rolanda nudged her shoulder and snapped her back to the present. She was still painfully aware of him at her side like a pervasive, dark presence. Tall and comforting alongside her, he was a stark contrast to her usual lonely forays. “What is it?” she whispered.

Rolanda jerked her head to the side and grinned a little. It was a Lloyds Pharmacy. The same one they had hit last time. Hopefully, the supplies they’d stashed would still be waiting for them and they could grab it and go. Hermione looked up and down the deserted street and gave a curt nod, not needing to reply verbally. Carefully, they crept towards the front of the building. The window had been smashed since the last time they were there and a couple of bottles of asprin were scattered across the road. Hermione tried the door; locked. Exchanging a glance with Severus, she crept carefully through the window. Her companions followed without a sound.

Inside, the place had been torn apart. The shelves had been pulled down, their contents scattered across the shop floor. Bottles and jars of a multitude of medicines were strewn about carelessly and the contents of several packets had been trodden on. Rolanda led them into the back room, where they’d stashed some of the supplies. Once in the back, the older woman kicked aside a heavy trunk and revealed a hatch. “You really are a resourceful bunch,” muttered Severus. Hermione nodded a response as Rolanda disappeared down the hatch. She swallowed the urge to push him against the wall and shove her tongue down his throat. The thought was strong but she blinked a couple of times and cleared it away. It did make her think for a moment and she returned to the front of the store. Rummaging around the floor, she found what she was looking for and slipped a couple of packets into her pocket, as well as a few boxes of painkillers and basic headache tablets.

Returning to her companions, she noticed Rolanda was still down the hatch. A few supplies were now resting on the edge of the hatch and Severus was bent down looking at She hunkered down next to him and scanned the supplies. “Will this be enough?” she whispered. A sudden wave of guilt washed over her. She’d been so caught up thinking about him that she’d forgotten about the reason for their trip.

“I can’t say without seeing how the wound has progressed,” he replied. She gave him a glance and he placed a warm hand on her bicep, giving it a squeeze. The contact made her heart speed up and she sucked in a breath. She bit her lip but knew he was doing his best to reassure her.

“I hope so.”

“Me too,” he nodded. He withdrew his arm as Rolanda’s head pocked up from the gap.

“Little help?” she tilted her head to the side and heaved up a pack full of the required goods. Hermione grabbed hold of it and hauled it up. Placing it on the side, she then held out a hand to help Roland up. Accepting it, the woman nimbly hopped up onto the floor once more and then shut the hatch.

“Is there much left?” Hermione asked.

“A fair bit,” Rolanda replied. She nodded before rising from her crouch, Severus followed.

“This should ensure infection is less of a risk in the future,” he said. Hermione watched as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned. His grace was undeniable and she flushed, turning her head away quickly. 

“We should go,” Hermione said. Rolanda nodded and all at once, shouldering the pack they began moving towards the exit. The chill had permeated the room and the day had darkened significantly when they crept back into the street. It was still deserted at least. However, Hermione’s eyes were drawn down the long high street. Several bricks were lying in the road, which was now cracked and looking as though it was in need of repair. As she was squinting against the brightness of the day, she thought she saw movement at the far end of the street. Leaning forward for a better look, the movement, whatever it was, was gone. The sooner they were the better.

“What is it?” Severus laid a hand on her shoulder and followed her gaze.

“I don’t know.” She whispered turning back the way they’d come.

“We need to go,” Rolanda said. Hermione nodded and they began stalking back out of the town with as much speed as they could muster.

It all went wrong when they were less than a hair’s breadth from the outskirts of the town. Hermione could even see the fields they were aiming for. A snickering laugh was the only warning they got. A sharp crack followed by a cry of pain from Rolanda was it. Hermione spun round, raising her crossbow but there was nothing there. No one to own up to the assault, she knew Severus was alert as she was but with nothing to see…

“Run!” Rolanda shouted. Hermione snapped out of her daze and began sprinting towards the fields. She scooped Rolanda back onto her feet and they all began the headlong dash. Laughter, cold, cruel and devoid of mirth followed them. Severus had his arm under Rolanda as well and they seemed to be on the verge of reaching their destination. It was not to be. Another sharp crack sounded and the laughter intensified. Another scream from the witch they carried sounded and this time, she went limp.

“Come on Severus!” Hermione hissed, trying to drag the now unconscious body of her companion. When they reached the long grass he stopped and they hunkered down. “What are you doing?”

“I know that laugh,” he said.

“So?”

“We’ll not get away.”

Hermione’s eyes widened at his apparent giving up and she shook her head, “What about Moody?” she asked.

“You take Rolanda and go.”

“I’ll not leave you!” Her heart pounded in her chest and she felt suddenly cold. How on earth could he suggest something like that? After the mornings events too? 

“I’ll catch you up,” he replied. She gave him a flat look, not believing a single word he said. If the Death Eaters got him, he was as good as dead. Shaking her head, she opened her mouth to speak. “Go to the safe house, I’ll meet you there later on. She needs your help too,” his eyes flicked to Rolanda before he took her hand. “I know these people, I will be fine,” Severus said.

“You better be!” she muttered as she hoisted the unconscious Rolanda up once more. The woman groaned a little but she found her feet as she came too.

“Go!” Severus whispered fiercely before rising to his feet. Swallowing, finding her throat dry, she nodded and began a scamper into the long grass. She dared not look back to see what he was doing. The laughter receded into the background and it seemed as though whatever it was he had in mind was working. She only hoped that he knew what he was doing and that he’d come back to them safe and in one piece.

It took most of the day to arrive back at the safe house. As soon as they did, Hermione hoisted Rolanda up the ladder as best she could and saw that she was settled in one of the beds. Reeling in the ladder, she crossed to the room she had shared the previous night with him and threw herself down on it. It was going to be a long wait and with nothing to do but think, it was going to pass slowly. Her thoughts chased themselves round and round, all that was left for her to do was hope he would turn up. Still, Moody was also waiting on their return and there was only so long they could wait. They would be out of food within a couple of days and by then; they would need to be long gone. Hermione buried her head in the pillow that smelled strongly of him. It was oddly comforting and she found her breathing becoming steadier and even. Before long, she was drifting into a restless, uneasy sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Hermione waited all day. Rolanda had spent the time drifting in and out of consciousness, she was in no fit state to be left alone and so they’d waited. Although she had a book with her, she found that every time she opened the pages and tried to read, they’d blur together. When she did focus, the words were meaningless. No matter how hard she tried, she could not get the words to make sense at all. She’d spent the morning cleaning the place up. There was plenty of dust that had settled and so she had busied herself with tending the safe-house. It had kept her busy for an hour.

After lunch, she had taken to sitting by the window, watching and waiting for Severus to return. Every time the grass lurched and parted in the wind she had hoped it was him. It never was. A short time after three, she guessed it was three, a group of Restless walked passed the house. Their shuffling, ambling movements, their stupid moaning and their awful stench reached her and she did nothing but glare at them. They couldn’t see her so the shuffled off to the south in search of whatever it was that they wanted.

At dusk, a pack of half-starved dogs crossed the road, they were thin, mangy looking and desperate. One of them barked at the other and Hermione turned away as the fight turned ugly. She knew the one that had been killed would be eaten by the others. Such were the times they lived in. She let out a deep sigh and opened one of the tins of food that had been left. Hoping like this was futile and she knew it. He was once again with those who he’d been with before the war and he wasn’t going to come back. It was likely that the Malfoy’s had far more to offer than their little settlement did and that he’d join them instead. Digging a spoon into the sweetcorn, she ate, not tasting anything as she swallowed.

A noise behind her made her jump and she spun around. Rolanda stood in the doorway, a strange sort of smile on her face, “He’ll be back,” she said as she sank into one of the chairs. Her face was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes but at least she was awake now.

“How are you?” Hermione asked offering her some of the corn. The older woman took it gratefully and nodded.

“My head is a lot clearer now thank you,” she said. Silence fell as she ate the rest of the tin. Hermione turned her attention back to the window. She heard Rolanda put the tin on the floor, “Have you been watching for him all day?” she asked.

“Not quite, I did some cleaning.” Hermione snorted at her own feeble attempt to cover her growing fascination. She didn’t fool herself, let along the woman sat opposite her. “It’s not as though there is anything else to do around here but wait anyway,” she added when Rolanda snorted.

“He’ll be alright,” she said. Hermione did her best to nod but found the words difficult to believe. The world out there was far more dangerous now than it had been when the Dark Lord had been roaming the place. At least then they knew there was a way to stop him. They’d known that Harry would do what he had to and the world should have gone back to normal. Except… Hermione dismissed that line of thought, there was no way of changing what had happened and that was it. All they could do was fight to stay alive.

The two women sat in silence for the rest of the evening. Hermione watched the sun set but didn’t turn away when she could no longer see. Her ears told her that another group of Restless had wondered through but she could barely make out their movements. At some point, Rolanda left and returned to the other room for rest. Before she went, she’d mentioned something about heading back tomorrow, Moody needed the medical supplies and they couldn’t wait for Severus forever. She had nodded and thought no more on the matter.

Eventually, even her eyes grew tired and she abandoned her vigil by the window. Returning to the bed, she snuggled into the thick blanket and forced her eyes shut. There really wasn’t all that much to think about anyway, her mind had gone over and over every possibility there was and there wasn’t much point depriving herself of sleep doing so again. Besides, it was one kiss, what the hell was she doing losing her head over just a single kiss. It hadn’t even been that good! She shook her head, no point lying to herself, it had been wonderful to kiss him and she knew she would have done so much more if they’d had more time. Why else had she scooped up condoms from the pharmacy floor? She smirked at the thought of having sex with her former potions professor. Once upon a time, the thought would have made her feel rather sick, now however… he was a shadow of who he was before and yet had kept some of the same qualities. Slowly, her eyes shut and she fell into a restless, dreamless sleep.

It was still dark when she awoke. The sound of someone shuffling drew her from her light slumber and she opened her eyes. She didn’t move but remained exactly where she was making sure her breathing was as deep and even as it had been in sleep. There was someone in the room with her. Reaching up carefully, she pulled her knife from under her pillow and unsheathed it. Whoever was with her sat on the edge of the bed. She couldn’t see their face. Her hand tightened around the handle of the blade and she tensed. “Are you going to stab me Hermione?”

The moment she heard his voice, she relaxed, put the knife away and flipped over. “You should know not to sneak up on sleeping people Severus!”

“I didn’t want to wake you,” he replied. She heard his shoes hit the floor and he swung his legs onto the bed.

“Are you going to tell me what happened?” she asked as she inched a little closer.

“Now?” he said. 

“Hmmm,” she nodded in the dark, knowing full well he wouldn’t be able to see her.

“No,” he replied. She frowned and he had the audacity to chuckle. “I’m going to get settled here and warm myself up. It’s damned cold out there and I have stumbled a fair way.” He then began to settle down into the bed. She felt how cold he was when he lifted the blankets and slipped in next to her. “I could use one of those showers of yours,” he whispered after a moment.

Now that he was here, lying beside her in bed, she was unsure what she wanted to do with him. She had been so sure that she’d throw herself at him and kiss him until he was unable to breathe but she found herself shy all of a sudden. She folded her hands underneath her head and peered into the gloom. She could make out his features and she spotted that he was smiling. Only a little curve of the mouth but it counted none the less. “What is it?” she asked.

“I had expected you to move on,” he whispered.

“Why would we do that? I said I would wait and wait I did.” She reached over and tucked a lock of black hair behind his ear. Her pulse quickened at the contact but she didn’t think he’d mind. He hadn’t before and it had led them to something far more fun. Even now, his hand was caressing her curly hair and she snuggled against him.

“I expected Rolanda to force you to go,” he said.

“Force? Who around here can force me to do anything?” she replied. The very idea was insane, she did as she wished generally. “I would have sent her ahead with the medicines, Neville is competent with them and he could have administered them to Moody while I waited for you,” she explained. 

“You would do that for me?” he asked.

“Of course I would,” she replied, “Not only are you a valued member of our team but I find that I’ve become rather fond of you too.”

“Hermione Granger!” he placed a hand under her chin and smirked, she could just make out the expression in the darkness, “Fond of the greasy git of the dungeons? What would Mr Weasley say?” 

“Ronald can bite me,” she hissed back. Her hand thrust into his soft black locks and he lowered his face to hers. Their lips met and she was once more lost in the sensations. His overwhelming scent, his breath on her cheek and the way he lapped at her lips with his tongue. She parted willingly and he invaded her mouth. She caressed him with her own, suckling and lapping against him, wanting to commit everything there was to learn about him to memory. She didn’t know how long they remained locked together in that way but when they parted, they were both panting and flushed.

She ran a hand along his stubble rough jaw and down his throat. His skin was notoriously soft and she longed to press her lips to it. Unable to resist, she did so and he let out a little whimper of delight, at least, she hoped it was delight. Her hands roamed his clothed chest and back, exploring his body as he watched her do so. He was so thin, she could feel his ribs jutting beneath the cloth of his shirt and yet, she longed to run her tongue over them, explore every contour, every aspect of his being. Especially if it made him make noises like he was currently doing. She’d never heard them from his lips before and it only served to spur her on. When her hands reached the hem of his shirt, she yanked it up and began her eager explorations.

“Hermione…” Severus whispered above her. She ignored him, so intent of her current focus to be distracted. As her mouth explored his chest, her hand found his bony hip and she slipped her hand underneath his belt. “Hermione, not here,” he said. She paused and looked up. His hands found her shoulders and he pulled her back up to his mouth. “It’s not that I’m not willing,” he pushed his hips towards her to emphasise his point, “But not with that woman in the room across the hall, not with one of our friend’s lives hanging in the balance. I want you but I want to do this undisturbed… preferably over the course of a few days,” he added. Slowly, she nodded her understanding and smiled.

“You better just kiss me then,” she whispered back. He did so, for the longest time. Eventually, he settled his head against the pillow and she watched his eyes shut. Her own followed his and before long, she slept once more.


	16. Chapter 16

The moment his eyes flickered open, he remembered. He remembered that he had to get to Potter, to find out the truth of it. He was about to throw the blankets off when he also remembered he wasn’t alone in the bed. Beside him, sleeping as though there was no tomorrow, was Hermione. Her soft curling hair cushioned her head and her parted lips were just too much of a temptation to resist. Pressing his lips to hers, she murmured and her eyes slowly opened. She responded by arching into him and sleepily curling her arms around his waist. As she woke, her involvement became much more fervent, as did his.

Finally, he broke away from her embrace and nudged her nose with his, “We need to get moving Hermione,” he whispered.

                “Spoil sport,” she pouted. That she wanted to spend their time idling together was sweet but he shook his head.

                “Moody needs us,” he said. She nodded her agreement before kissing the tip of his nose.

                “Come on then.” She disentangled herself from his body and pushed the covers from them. He sat up and stretched out his back, sorry to be leaving the warmth but knowing they had a job to complete. “While we’re walking, you can tell me everything that happened,” she said as she pulled the cover back over the bed. There was a knock at the door before it was thrown back and Rolanda stood in the doorway, a wide smile on her face.

                “I thought I heard voices!” she laughed. Stepping forward, she embraced him warmly. He patted her on the back, feeling more than a little awkward in the hug. He could hear Hermione giggling behind him and he shot her a withering glare, which did nothing to halt her amusement.

                “I’m fine,” he said as she backed off.

                “Me too, are we ready to leave?” Rolanda asked.

                “Sure, sooner we get back the better,” Hermione said. He nodded, knowing that they’d wasted enough time as it was. Severus shouldered his pack, made sure his weapons were in the right place and nodded. The girls were also ready so carefully, they made their way down the ladder to the lower floor and out into the cold morning air.

                Brilliant sunshine illuminated the frost bitten ground, the bright light was blinding after the darkness of the safe house but the silence was a blessing. There wasn’t a single sound other than the odd chirp from a nearby bird. Nothing moved except them. Severus let out a deep, refreshed sigh and pushed black hair from his forehead. It was very tempting to capture Hermione’s hand and walk beside her but he didn’t think she would appreciate it in front of Rolanda. Instead, the contented to walk with them, he set a gruelling pace, eager to be back at the prison and to get the supplies to their friend in need.

                There was no talk as they walked, instead, contenting themselves with their own thoughts as they strode ahead. It was a long hike back, made all the longer for the silence. Somehow, the urgency of their mission seemed to be recalled and they moved at a rapid pace. It was mid-afternoon by the time they arrived back. The person who waved them in was none other than Harry himself, reminding Severus that he had to speak to him as soon as he could.

                “How is he?” Hermione asked as they walked through the gates.

                “Not good,” Harry replied as he fell in step with them, “What kept you? We were beginning to worry.” The lad looked as though he had aged ten years over the past three days and Severus felt a pang of sympathy, if only he could have escaped sooner…

                “We ran into Malfoy,” Hermione said. “While we were trying to escape, Rolanda was hit and knocked out. Severus… well, he went after them and allowed us to escape. We had to wait at the safe house.” Hermione explained.

                “How did you escape?” Harry asked.

                “Now’s not the time for such questions,” he replied. Rolanda narrowed her eyes and he knew what she must be thinking. He had been in cahoots with them before; could he not do so again? How wrong she was. “I’ll explain everything after we have tended to Moody and made sure he is alright,” he added when Harry also raised a brow. He appeared to accept the answer however and strode with them back into the building.

When they arrived at Moody’s bedside, the same on in which they left him, the change was evident. Hermione inhaled sharply and Rolanda looked away. His face had turned a greyish white and there were thick black lines running from the place where he had been bitten. Green matter oozed from the wound and the stench was the worst he had ever smelled before. Rolling up his sleeves, he placed a slender hand on the man’s head. Fever raged in his blood and although his eyes were open, he saw nothing. “Hermione, the bag,” he said. When she didn’t respond straight away, he snapped her name once more. “Come on Granger!” This seemed to have the desired effect as she opened the bag and began rummaging through it.

She pulled out some clear fluid, which he knew was for cleaning wounds. It may not be much use but it was better than nothing. “Go and boil some water,” he demanded to anyone who would listen. Someone spurred to action behind him and he only hoped it was to bring him what he needed. He pulled open one of the packages of bandages and began wiping away the foul-smelling green fluid. There was plenty of it and the stench threatened to make him gag. He held his teeth clenched and fought the urge even as he continued his task. It seemed to take eternity but finally, the fluid from the wound ran clear. That was the secondary infection cleared for the time being.

Hermione arrived with hot water and he dipped one of the bandages into it. Using it as a sponge, he cleaned the wound properly before applying the cleansing fluid. This he applied to the bite before wrapping it in a clean, sterile bandage. “Will he be alright?” Harry asked nervously over his shoulder.

“This needs to be cleaned and redressed every four to six hours,” he said as he discarded the filthy material into a nearby bin, he made a mental note to burn it later on. “We also have to make sure he gets some of these into his system regularly as well.” He pulled out a packet of antibiotics they had raided from the pharmacy. “Perhaps Neville can do the job of making sure it happens.”

“And this will make him better?” The voice belonged to Luna, who was looking over Harry’s shoulder. Where the dream-headed girl had appeared from, he had no idea. Slowly, he shook his head.

“I have no idea,” he said. He wasn’t going to lie to them. “We’ve done all we can, it’s up to him now.” He ran a hand over his face and supressed a yawn. He wanted nothing more than a hot shower and to rest properly but he knew that doing both of those things was unlikely. He felt a warm hand slip into his and give it a gentle squeeze. Looking around, he saw Hermione giving him a soft smile and he nodded.

“Harry, we’ve been through a great deal these past couple of days, can we at least go and get cleaned up?” she asked. Slowly, the boy nodded.

“Go ahead, but I want to speak with you all before you retire,” he said. Hermione nodded and so did he. At least he would be clean again!

“I’d open the windows in here as well, it stinks,” he said before Hermione tugged his hand and led him from the room. As soon as they were away from the others, she let out a sigh and he noticed for the first time how exhausted she looked. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“It’s been a tough couple of days,” she managed to whisper. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before stopping and pulling her into a quick embrace. She leaned her head against his thin chest and circled her arms around his waist. They remained there for a long while as she took comfort from his presence. He found that it did the same to him and he buried his nose in her thick curls. The sound of someone approaching had them shuffling away from each other awkwardly and they both looked as guilty as each other when they continued walking. It made him wonder about the nature of their relationship for a moment, was she embarrassed to be seen with him? Was he embarrassed about her? He found that he wasn’t but was also reluctant to let people know about them just yet. It was all so… new.

                Dismissing the thought, he followed her into the shower and picked up a towel. He waited until she had stepped into one of the cubicles before entering one on the opposite side. The hot water was almost as good as the first time he had showered here and he remained under the stream of water for a long time. When he finally emerged, she was waiting for him, dressed and with a towel around her head, a wide grin on her face. One he returned.

                “So, what happened when you were with the Malfoy’s?” she asked as they walked back to the meeting room.

                Severus gave her a serious look for a moment and shook his head slowly. “I found out why the dead walk and how magic is broken.” He said.


	17. Chapter 17

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and starred at him. She knew her mouth was hanging open but all she could do was stand there and blink. She didn’t even know how she felt about this sudden divulgence of information. It was hardly far that he had told her that he knew and then not explained the rest of it. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she said. The thought that he hadn’t trusted her with it crossed her mind but she dismissed it straight away as childish. Just because they had spent a couple of nights snogging, didn’t mean he owed her anything at all.

                “I wanted us to get back safely before I divulged anything,” he said. “I didn’t want you rushing off to try and solve the problem without thinking.” He had the decency to look away then and she knew he was thinking of her safety more than anything. She touched his hand, reaching across the distance between them and gave it a little pet.

                “That’s very sweet of you,” she said. “I know I can be impulsive but something like this… it’s far bigger than just me.”

                “I’m glad you understand,” he said. His voice was a low tone and she smiled.

                “Come on; let’s get to this meeting, I am anxious to know what you know.” She said. Dropping his hand, she began walking again. Her mind jumped from one thought to the next without stopping. What had he learned? How had he found the information? What had happened at the Malfoy’s den? It was all rather overwhelming. By the time they reached the meeting room, her face was a touch flushed and she felt the urge to demand he spill the information straight away. Indeed, the first part of the meeting was much of a blur to her. She must have spoken about her findings but she could barely remember doing so.

                When Harry turned to Severus, her eyes lit up and the same words fell from his mouth as they had earlier, in much the same tone too. “I found out why the dead walk and how magic is broken.” Harry’s eyes widened much as hers had and the room fell silent. There was a long pause before anyone even breathed.

                A snort came from Ron after a moment and he leaned forward, “And how do you reckon that happened then?” Hermione could have slapped the belligerence from him but she remained silent, wanting to hear what Severus had to say as much as anyone else. He turned his black eyes to Harry and fixed him with a glare so hard that she swallowed.

                “After you defeated The Dark Lord, what did you do?” he asked.

                “There were a lot of things that happened that day.” Harry’s tone was wary. “The day is a bit of a blur.”

                “You defeated the world’s most powerful wizard,” he said drily, “I find it hard to believe you cannot recall what happened to mind…”

                “Was there something specific that you want me to remember?” Harry snapped back. Hermione rolled her eyes; this was going to go horribly wrong if they weren’t careful.

                “Yes,” he replied.

                “Give me something to go on then.”

                “Now, I think Harry is going to have to have some help here,” Hermione said as she rested her hand on his knee underneath the table. She gave it a squeeze but he showed no reaction to it.

                “You broke something that day,” he said. Harry appeared to think it over but Hermione realised what he was speaking about before him. She raised her hands to her mouth and her eyes widened. She saw Severus’ teeth grind together as Harry slowly began to realise what he was talking about.

                “Dumbledore’s wand. The Elder Wand.”

                Ron gave another snort at this point, “We were right to destroy that thing,” he added. His face had flushed a bright shade of red as he spoke and Hermione knew that he wasn’t thinking that at all.

                “The Elder Wand.” Snape confirmed.

                “I snapped it after the battle to stop anyone else fighting over it,” Harry said.

                “Two nights later, the first Restless was spotted at Hogwarts.” Hermione added. How could they have been so stupid?

                “That was an artefact made by Death.” Severus said, “I can’t believe you, of all people, would have been so idiotic as to act as rash as that.” He let out a held breath and shook his head slowly. Harry looked down at the table and shook his head.

                “I thought I was doing the world a favour,” he replied. Hermione recognised the hurt in his voice and knew that although he appeared calm, he was furious inside. At Severus for bringing this news or at his own actions, she couldn’t tell. Still, her friend would need comfort at the end of this meeting and she would try her best to help him.

                “Many disasters start as good intentions Harry,” Severus said.

                “But… how had that broken the magic?” Ron asked.

                “These Restless, as you call them, are drawing the magic from the world. They are not meant to be here, as we know. Not only are they attracted to the flesh of the living, it is the magic we possess that they want.” Severus explained.

                “How did you learn this?” Hermione asked. She found she wasn’t interested in the reasons why the Restless wanted to kill them. She was more interested in where he had been.

                “It is a theory the Malfoy’s were discussing while I was there,” he said.

                “You were with them for a long time,” Harry said, glad for the change of subject. Hermione’s gaze flicked between her two friends and Severus. Shifting in her seat, she wondered where this conversation was going.

                “It took a while for an opportunity to escape to present itself. They were less than keen to let me leave,” Severus said.

                “What else did you learn while you were there?” Harry asked.

                “Not much. There are a lot of the old Deatheaters there, Bellatrix was the one who injured Rolanda and caught me,” he said. Hermione shuddered as she remembered the vile witch who had caused her so much pain during the final year of the war. She had thought Molly had killed her but apparently not. Her fists clenched at the thought and she snorted out a breath. “I returned with her, allowing the women to escape. What I found was reminiscent of the Malfoy Manor. They have plenty of supplies and seem relatively well off compared to some I have encountered. However, they are not as secure as here and I believe they plan to come for the prison.” Severus explained. Hermione’s nails bit into her palm and she realised she was clenching her fists. Forcing herself to relax, she considered what he had said.

                “When?” Harry asked.

                “I wasn’t told. It was an overheard conversation while I was trying to escape,” Severus said. Harry and Ron exchanged a glance that wasn’t altogether positive and she let out a sigh, which turned into a yawn. “There isn’t anything else I can tell you.” She watched as he flicked black hair from his face and he too yawned.

                “I’ve kept you both long enough; go and sleep.” Harry said, “I want to talk this through with everyone else,” he added. Hermione began to speak but he held up his hand. The arrogant manner would normally infuriate her but she found she was too tired to care all that much. “No, I’ll let you know what we talk about tomorrow.”

                She nodded and rose from the table, she had a lot to think about and her head was beginning to throb with the tiredness brewing in the front of her skull. “Thanks,” she whispered as she passed Harry. Severus had followed her and he gave the boy a curt nod. They walked back to the cell block side by side at a pace that a snail would have beaten.

                “They’re going to come for us?” Hermione asked when they reached the door to her room. Severus nodded.

                “From what I could gather,” he nodded. Hermione let out a deep sigh and opened the door. All of a sudden, the weariness of the past few days hit her and she sagged against it. Strong hands rested on her shoulders and gripped the tense muscles between gentle, yet probing fingers. “Don’t worry, they’re not strong enough to make a lasting assault,” he whispered. She knew he was trying to reassure her but she couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the idea.

                “All they have to do is send a load of the Restless in first,” she muttered. Leaning against him, she let his warmth flood through her and she relaxed. Sleep claimed her moments later.

                “Maybe so, but I’m sure we can fight them off and more.” His words hit home and she smiled. Not a heartfelt gesture for sure but it was a start.

                “Are you staying?” she asked.

                “If you want,” he replied.

                “I do,” she twisted around and grabbed hold of his shirt. Stepping backwards, she pulled him with her. As soon as the cell door was shut, she threw the curtain across and pressed her mouth to his. Not seeking anything further, she contented herself with the feeling of his lips on hers. When a deep yawn threatened her, she broke the kiss and flushed. “I find I sleep better with you beside me,” she whispered before leaning her head against his narrow chest. His hand caressed her fluffy hair and she sighed.

                “Then let’s sleep, it sounds like we’re going to have a lot of work to do over the next few days.” His voice was a deep lull and she nodded mutely. Before she knew what was happening, they were side by side underneath the duvet and warm.


	18. Chapter 18

The morning dawned far too soon for comfort. Before Severus even had time to think, the hustle and bustle of the prison’s inhabitants going to and fro pulled him from the restful slumber he was enjoying. The only reason he didn’t move was because he had Hermione resting asleep still on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her for a long moment. He thought back to the time she had been his student and how annoying she had been back then. Never, not even in his dreams, had he thought they would ever be in this situation, not only with the Restless outside but how they were now. Wrapped around each other in complete comfort, it was as much a surprise to him as it must be for her. The Know-it-all and the Greasy Git, the thought brought a smile to his lips and he pressed them to her forehead.

She muttered something and he brushed brown curls from his face, “What was that?” he whispered.

                “You need to stop waking me in this fashion,” she replied. Her eyes flickered open and he ran his thumb over the soft skin of her cheek.

                “Why?” he asked.

                “Because one of these days I’ll lose my restraint and jump you,” she replied. She rubbed her hips against him for emphasis and he gasped.

                “Perhaps that’s the idea,” he said meeting her movement with his own. A look of uncertainty crossed her face; all he could do was grin back at her as she registered what it was she was feeling.

                “Severus…” When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. He swallowed hard, knowing that she was as eager for him as he was for her. Their lips met and he was lost for a while, revelling in her scent, her taste and the way her mouth felt when it moved under his. Gods she tasted divine, as though she were the finest wine, or the sweetest fruit. There really was nothing to compare her to; she was the best thing he had ever tasted. When she murmured, he found it hard to comprehend; perhaps it was the greatest noise he had ever heard. “Hermione,” he murmured when the kiss broke for a moment

                “What?”

                He didn’t reply, just kissed her again, this time urging her to part her lips and allow his tongue access to her sweet mouth. She squeaked a little before responding to his request. He didn’t know how long they spent like that, taking from each other what they both needed. Her hand thrust into his hair and he tightened his grip on her back, not wanting her to get away, though she didn’t seem all that bothered about what they were doing. In fact, her other hand had begun exploring him just like it had the other morning. The muscles in his lower belly tensed and he held his breath as her gentle fingertips descended the planes of his body.

When her hand found his belt again, he didn’t stop her. Instead, he began explorations of his own. Descending from her shoulder, his hand moved to cup her soft, ample breast. He let out a soft moan when her exploring fingers brushed his erection through his jeans. Losing all focus, he gave himself up to the sensation that was firing through his blood. Not one to be put off, she continued her gentle attentions as he forced himself to relax. He leaned back and looked into her face for a moment, seeing the hungry look in her eyes had his lips parted and his breath hitched.

His hand left her breast then and went to investigate the other interesting parts of her body. It had been many long years since he had enjoyed the company of a lady, and even longer since he’d done this. The rubbing of her hand had his breath coming in small pants and he lifted his hips in time with her movements. “Hermione,” he whispered again.

                “Hmmm?” she murmured.

                “It’s been so long, I’ll come if you don’t stop.” He said after a pause. It had taken a bit to admit that to her and he swallowed, hoping she wouldn’t be too annoyed at his inadequacies. She pressed the heel of her hand into his cock and white light flashed before his eyes.

                “Maybe that’s the idea…” she whispered. Her other hand found his shoulder and pushed him onto his back. There wasn’t even the glimmer of willpower for resisting and he rolled over. Her hand never left him. Her mouth descended and caught his lips as she increased the speed of her rubbing. Breathing sharply through his nose, he was unable to keep his hips from bucking against her fingers. She yanked up his shirt and her teeth grazed his flesh. All thought evaporated from his mind, the only thing he could think about was her hand on his cock and her teeth on his skin. A whimper, the likes of which he had never made before, escaped his parted lips and he jerked along with her rhythm. Fingers gripped in the sheets, he thought he uttered her name. His world narrowed and he pulsed, erupting into the soft cotton of the underwear he currently had on.

                It took a long while for him to return to where he was lying. When he did, Hermione was curled against him, a smug look on her face. He ran a hand down the side of her face and gave her a grin that he knew made him look like an idiot. Kissing her gently, he let the hand run down to her breast and gave it a gentle squeeze, “Severus?” she said. There was a slight frown that marred her fair brow and he smiled.

                “I believe it’s called returning the favour,” he said as his hand left her breast and trailed down her body. He hovered just above the button of her jeans until she realised his intentions.

                “You don’t have to.”

                “I want to.”

                That seemed to please her and she relaxed against her pillows, a smile on her face once more. With a quick flick, he had the button of her jeans undone and pulled the zipper down carefully. Slipping his long finger beneath the band of her panties, he was surprised to see how wet she was. She murmured as he slid into the slick heat and her back arched, “Severus,” she whispered. He smirked then, she spoke his name just as he had hers. He was about to push his finger into her hot body when there were a couple of bangs at the side of her cell.

                “Come on you two!” It was Molly. “I know you’re both in there, get yourselves up, emergency meeting!” Hermione’s head shot up and she looked at him. Neither of them spoke until they heard Molly’s footsteps walking away from the cell.

                “Well, you heard her!” Hermione said.

                “Do we have to go?” He wiggled his finger a little to emphasise his point. She whimpered a little and then rolled her eyes.

                “They’ll know what we’re doing if we don’t.”  
                “Are you bothered?”

                “No… Not really. But it will be important.” He gave a nod and sighed as he removed his hand from her, “Look, I’d rather not go and spend my time here with you instead… And don’t think you’re going to get away with it, you owe me!” she said as she sat up. Her tone was entirely playful and she kissed him lightly before she rose from the bed.

                “Would have been nice to shower before this,” he muttered. She pushed a lock of his hair behind his ear after he had sat up and smiled.

                “See it as a reminder of your debt,” she said. When he rose, he caught her in his arms and gave her a tight hug. Surprisingly, she wrapped her arms around his waist and they stood for a moment, merely holding each other. Somehow, the world didn’t seem quite so dark anymore. “Come on, let’s go and see what everyone wants.”

                He released her, straightened the shirt he was wearing and she pulled the curtain back, exposing them to the world. As soon as the door was open, they left the room and headed to the meeting that had been called. Severus suspected that it would be about his discovery; he was not disappointed. There was a letter in the middle of the room, which Harry passed to him. Scanning it quickly, he instantly recognised Lucius Malfoy’s handwriting. It contained the usual pomp and hyperbolic language he had used in the last world but it all boiled down to one thing. They were coming for the prison.

                “My question is why the warning?” Harry said. Severus shook his head.

                “I have no idea. What goes through his mind is beyond me.” He read the letter again, looking to see if there was anything he had missed on the first read. There wasn’t.

                “Do the reasons matter?” Ron said.

                “Ron’s right Harry,” Hermione added. Ron brightened at her support and nodded. “We need to get this place ready for their attack.”

                “They’ll use magic,” Severus said, “Any they won’t care if that attracts all the Restless across the county either.”

                “Why?” Rolanda asked.

                “I don’t know,” Harry said.

                “We’ve been here for nearly three years and they’ve never bothered us before.”

                “Do the reasons matter?” Severus said. Most people shook their heads and he let out a small sigh. “What we need to do, is make sure we are prepared for their arrival.”

                “And how do you suppose we do that?” Harry asked.

                “Think like a Death Eater.”

                What followed was a hubbub of noise as everyone chattered and spoke about the idea he suggested. The way Severus saw it; they needed to know their enemy in order to survive. If he knew Lucius, and he did, he would apparate into the area just in front of the prison and start the assault from there. “One thing we don’t know is how long we have.” Harry said.

                “Then we need to make sure we are prepared as much as we can be,” Severus said. There were more nods and muttering as Harry began speaking once more. This time, it was to divide up the jobs that would need doing in order to fend off the pending attack.


	19. Chapter 19

Agitated. That was how she was currently feeling. Pushing curly hair back from her face, she fought to tie it back before returning her attention on the task at hand. Harry had asked her if she would make sure the healing supplies were well stocked and ordered with Neville. Not only was the job tedious and dull, she found that Neville’s prattling on and on about his fears and worries was driving her bonkers. Hermione set about stacking the shelves as she had been directed and did her best to tune him out. All she could think about was what had woken her up that morning. The inky black eyes of her lover, which she supposed he was now, had burned with a desire she had never seen before. A deep shiver passed through her as she placed the third bottle of dittany on the shelf and she sighed.

Although Ron had been attentive when they had dated back in school, it had never been as intense as Severus. When the war broke out, all thought of dating had ceased and the Restless, along with surviving, had kept the thoughts at bay. She had always wanted to see someone however staying alive had been more important. As she bent down to pick up another one of the bottles, she sighed again. “Is something wrong Hermione?” Neville asked.

“Oh… No Neville, sorry, I’m in a world of my own this morning,” she said as she placed the jar on a shelf. “IS there anything else for over here?”

“No, I’d appreciate it if you can get these bandages ready though,” he said. She nodded and took a pair of scissors from him. As she began cutting up the gauze into long strips, she realised that she found the menial task comforting. It left her mind free to roam and think about the morning. The softness of his mouth was something she fixated on, more so than any of the other details… Although the hardness under her hand had been exciting, and the very thought sent a strange cramp through her belly, his mouth was just divine.

“Hermione, those are far too thin!” Neville said. Glancing down at the spaghetti thin strip in her hand, she shook her head.

“I’m so sorry,” she said.

“Are you worried about the fight?” he asked. Slowly, she nodded, it was better than admitting that she was distracted by their ex-potions professor’s mouth and how he could use it. “It’ll be alright Hermione, we’ve fought off hosts of Restless before, we can keep this place free of the living too.”  
“Thanks,” she nodded. It wasn’t much comfort but it did mean that she concentrated more on making sure the supplies were all ready. It kept thoughts of the morning clear from her mind too, which meant the bandages were useful. The morning passed quickly enough and by the time they had finished, the afternoon had worn through to evening. Before they left, Hermione made sure they checked on Moody to see how he was healing. Once the bandages were changed and she was satisfied that the still unconscious man was comfortable, she went in search of something to eat.  
The only other person in the hall was Ron, who was nursing a cup of tea and half of what appeared to be a sandwich. She poured herself a hot drink and helped herself to some stew and bread too. Sitting opposite Ron, she gave him a half smile. “How are you?”

“Scared,” he replied. 

“Me too,” she nodded.

“When do you think they’ll come?”

“Difficult to say,” she said. “Not much we can do but wait really,” she added. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear but he nodded none the less.  
“Do you think we can hold the place?” He wrapped his hands around his mug and popped the rest of the bread into his mouth. She nodded without saying anything and began eating her dinner. The hot food filled her belly and made her eyes heavy. As she sat in a half doze, they were joined by Luna and Matt. They chattered idly about the day and preparations however, when Matt asked her something, it was Luna who spoke.

“Leave Hermione alone Matt, she’s tired and her thoughts are elsewhere right now.” The ethereal voice of her friend made her look up and she shook her head.

“It’s alright Luna,” Hermione said. “I mean, I am tired but I shouldn’t ignore you just for that, we’re all tired.”

“Why don’t you go and find Severus? That’s where your thoughts are isn’t it, he’d be happy to know about it surely?” she said in her soft lilt. Ron gave her an odd look with an expression she was unable to place. He also made a slightly disgusted noise but otherwise remained silent.

“Ron!” she said shaking her head, “Alright, Severus and I have become a little closer lately but he’d busy discussing tactics with the others. I think I’ll just go to bed and read.” As she spoke, she found that the idea was a fair one, it had been a while since she had had any time to read and burying herself in a book seemed like a grand thing.

“Always with the books Hermione?” Matt said.

“Of course, you should have seen her in school!” Ron said. Hermione could only nod and she bade them all goodnight before taking away her dirty plate and mug. By the time she arrived back at her cell, her legs felt like lead and she could barely stifle her yawns. The agitation that had annoyed Hermione earlier had dissipated, leaving behind a weary emotional exhaustion, the likes of which she had not felt for a long time. Picking up one of her favourite books, she shook off her shoes and climbed into bed. Once the blankets were around her and the pages open, she managed to relax a little more. It didn’t take long for her eyes to grow heavy and for sleep to claim her fully.

When she awoke the following, she was alone. Rising, she showered, dressed and headed back to the mess hall. Inside were Trelawney and Rolanda sharing a coffee before they went about with the continued preparations for the pending attack. Hermione didn’t join them; the last thing she wanted that morning was talk. Instead, she drank her coffee before taking a walk around the prison. Everywhere she looked, things had been moved. Spare ammunition had been placed around the front of the prison in strategic places. Looking up, she saw Matt and Linnie in the lookout tower.

She sighed as she realised that the double watch was a necessary. A strange tightness appeared in the pit of her belly and she stalked across the paddock to the fence. It was as strong as it ever was but Hermione knew that it wouldn’t keep them out. The Death Eaters would apparate directly into the compound and attack them from there. Somehow, she knew they’d use as much magic as they could, attract as many Restless as they could and use them to destroy the place. It didn’t matter that they wouldn’t want the prison; they just wanted to destroy them

Clenching her fist, she turned away from the fence and the outside world and stalked back to the prison itself. Heat coloured her cheeks and she stormed through to one of the quieter corridors. Throwing herself down on one of the seats, she felt her throat tighten and she buried her face in her hands. Unaware that someone had joined her, she let herself sob into her hands. Arms circled her shoulder and pulled her against a warm chest. 

“What’s the matter?” The deep soothing voice of Severus reached her but she hadn’t the strength to speak.

“Why?” she whispered after taking a moment to collect herself. “Why are they doing it? What did we ever do except try and survive?”

“I don’t know,” he replied, “But don’t let them beat you, don’t let their misery and despair get to you. This is a good home and we’ll keep it that way.” She nodded and let him hold her tight for a long moment. Slowly, the tension left her shoulders and she sagged against him.

“Do you think we can beat them?” she asked.

“I know we can.”

Hermione straightened up and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, “Sorry,” she said. Severus shook his head and stood up after a moment.  
“We still have work to do,” he said. She nodded and rose to stand beside him. Taking his hand she gave a half smile and sniffed.

“Suppose we better go then,” she said. This time, he nodded and he led her back towards the main complex. When they re-joined everyone, she didn’t care that they saw them holding hands. She merely smiled at the knowing looks and a surprising amount of pride filled her. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all!


	20. Chapter 20

Hermione spent the day assisting with the gathering and brewing of potions. Severus had requested a small room in order to set up a lab and Harry had only been too happy to oblige. He’d let them to a room near the cells that looked as though it had started life as a store room. There was enough room for a table, a couple of chairs the room was already lined with empty shelves. After they had moved everything they needed in, Severus had asked her to begin preparing a wide range of different ingredients. Some of which he would be using, some of which were for storage. She was glad she had insisted on keeping the cauldrons for a ‘rainy day’, as she had said. They were now stacked neatly on one of the shelves. Severus was hunched over one of them, brewing everything they could think of for the coming battle.

When she looked around, the room was lit by candles. She let out a little chuckle as she ground up some of the dried monkshood from the small stores they actually had. “What’s so funny?” Severus asked looking up from the workbench.

“We could almost be in the dungeons,” she said. He looked around and gave her a nod.

“That we could, but I’m not going to start calling you Miss Granger again.”

“Alright, sir,” she said. She knew her tone was mocking and the scowl he gave her was reminiscent of her school days, she swallowed despite herself. He shook his head, a slight smirk on his face and she was tempted to throw something at his head. “That’s not very nice!” she barked.

“Did you forget who you were dealing with?” he said raising a dark eyebrow. She glanced up at him and saw the smile playing about his thin lips. Unable to quash her own, she chucked and gave a little shrug of her shoulders.

“You’re not as mean as you make out,” she said.

“Five years in the wilderness alone does that to you, softens you up a little,” he said as he returned to stirring the potion he was brewing.

“And toughens you as well I suppose,” she nodded as she ground up the last of the monkshood. Carefully, she poured it into one of the storage jars, labelled it and put it on the not quite so bare shelf.

“In a way,” he nodded.

“Tell me about it?” she asked as she leaned on the table.

“I will do but first, you need to go and fetch some bezoar and get them stored correctly,” he said. She nodded and turned to leave, “And perhaps some coffee as well!” he added. 

Hermione stuck her tongue out at him over her shoulder before leaving the room. She would fetch both the antidotes and the coffee, truth be told, she could use a hot drink herself. Walking through the corridors, she felt much better than she had that morning; however the atmosphere of the place hadn’t improved at all. As she walked passed Remus, he appeared to be in a heated discussion about where this particular batch of ammunition should be put with Ron. Ron’s face was redder than a beetroot as he yelled at their friend. “Hey!” she said. Both of them turned and shot daggers at her.

“What?” Ron snapped.

“I know we’re all tense but do we really need to shout at each other?” she asked placing a hand on the arms of both her friends.

“Hermione’s right Ron,” Lupin said, his voice soft, trying to get the angry red head to calm down.

“Oh shut up!” Ron said, “Just because you’ve got someone now doesn’t mean you can go around telling us what to do.” Her eyes widened as his words stung and she shook her head. Narrowing her eyes, she snorted out a breath.

“Ron Weasley, you are a bigger idiot that you look,” she snapped, “Sort yourself out and get a grip. We’re about to be attacked by god only knows how many Death Eaters and you’re more concerned with being jealous.” She dropped her hand from his arm and folded them over her chest. It had been a very long time since she and Ron had split up, she could hardly believe he was acting like a love-sick teenager still. What did he expect to happen? That she would be available for when he wanted to pick that up again? Hardly! He had been the one to break it off in the first place. “Sorry Remus, I have to go. I can’t stand here and look at him.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the fuming Ron before turning on her heels and walking away. Remus gave her a sympathetic look before turning to Ron and saying something. What it was, she didn’t hear.

After picking up the bezoars and two cups of coffee, she returned to the little potions lab and placed the mugs down. She handed one to Severus before turning her full attention to the task before her – cutting the bezoars up and bottling them. It took a bit of precision to do as they were wont to break and crumble. Once in a powder form, they were mostly useless. The knife in her hand was sharp and her concentration deep. Never before had she been so hell bent on driving something from her mind. 

It had been a long time since she had quarrelled with her friends in this manner and it left her feeling a little funny. She had completely forgotten that she had asked Severus about his time outside the prison and he seemed engrossed in his own task anyway. Setting her teeth together, she focused.

“What is it?” She almost jumped when Severus spoke.

“Nothing.”

“Obviously…”

“Don’t be like that!” she said putting down the knife.

“Your jaw is clenched and you’re cutting those bezoars as if they have personally offended you, it’s no great leap of imagination to suggest that something is wrong.” He took the potion he was stirring from the heat and was by her side in two steps, “Now, what is it?” he asked again. Hermione let out a sigh; it looked as though she was going to have to say something about what had happened, she’d never hear the end of it otherwise!

“I came across Ron and Remus arguing.”

“And?”

 

“I told them to stop, that we need to work together despite how stressed we might be feeling. So Ron turned around and took his anger out on me instead.” Hermione said.

“What did he say?”

“It doesn’t-“

“What did he say?” He cut her off and fixed her with a firm look from his black eyes.

“He implied that I was being bossy because of you.” His eyes narrowed a little, “He’s jealous, that’s all. I told him that there were far more important things to worry about that this… whatever this is.” She brushed a lock of hair from her eyes and looked up at him for the first time. “Happy?”

“Not exceptionally,” he said. The thoughtful look on his face made her wonder what was going through his mind but she held her tongue.

“We’re all a bit worried about what’s going to happen and until they turn up, I suspect there are going to be little arguments happening all over the place,” she said.

“As long as we don’t start quarrelling,” he nodded. She shook her head.

“I don’t see why we would.”

He ran his hands over her upper arms slowly and shook his head, “No, me neither,” he whispered. He lingered there a moment longer and she leaned back a little against his slender body. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head before stepping away, “We have so much to do Hermione, we can’t afford to waste time,” he said.

“More’s the pity,” she replied with a smile. He returned to the statin at his table and she continued to slice the bezoars, although at a much more relaxed pace than before. By the time they had finished their work, Hermione had almost forgotten about it. If Ron wanted to act like a prat, she would let him, there were far more important things to do than listen to him whine. Severus had made several draughts that day and the shelves were beginning to resemble his old study.

“I think that is enough for one day,” he said when he had placed the last batch on the shelf. Hermione nodded and sliced the last bezoar. Her stomach made an odd whining noise and she flushed a little. “Hungry?”

“Ravenous!” 

“This can wait then,” he said. She placed the final piece in the jar, sealed the lid and placed it on the shelf where he had indicated they belonged. After that, he took her by the arm and drew her out of the room. Moments later, they were in the mess hall with bowls of hot food in front of them. Looking around, she noticed that a lot of them had dark circles under their eyes. There was hardly any conversation, almost as though they were all holding their breath in anticipation of something. When someone did speak, it was in a hushed whisper and accompanied by scowls and frowns. Hermione found herself longing to get away from them, to curl up once more with her book and forget about the danger for a little while.

“When do you think they’ll come?” she asked as quietly as she could.

“If I were in Lucius’ position, I wouldn’t come at all,” Severus said.

“Just send the letter to keep us on edge?”

“Yes, then wait until you’d had enough of the tension, wait for you to drop your guard and then strike,” he said. Hermione nodded, it was a sensible plan, one that she could see the logic behind as well.

“It’s a good job you’re not him then,” she whispered. Severus gave her a smile before popping some more of the stew in his mouth. Hermione yawned then, hastily covering her mouth with her hand.

“Go to sleep if you’re tired,” he said.

“What about you?”

“I want to take a look outside, I know it’s dark but there’s something I need to see,” he said. She gave him a sidelong glance, not sure what it was he could possibly want to see but she made no issue of it. 

“Will you join me later?”

“Possibly,” he said. At that, she nodded and rose from the table. 

“Good night then,” she said. He returned the wish but she barely heard, she was too tired to really think about anything further. When she reached her cell, she crashed.


	21. Chapter 21

As soon as Severus reached the outside, he let out a deep sigh. The air in the building had become hot, cloying and entirely smothering. It wasn’t Hermione, how could it be? She’d been nothing but amazing since they’d met a few short weeks ago. Was it only weeks? It felt like forever. He crossed the entranceway and walked towards the watchtower. He hadn’t been up there himself as yet and he had no real wish to do so now. It was rather high and he knew the lookouts, Lavender and Luna, were perfectly able to do their job without him poking his nose in. Pulling his cloak around him against the biting wind, he made his way towards the darkened fence.

The only noise he was able to hear was the rustling of the trees and the odd creaking of branches. There was no give away, no sign that anyone was out there and yet, somehow, he knew there was. Their opponents would not be stupid enough to attack without a good knowledge of where they lived and operated. They would know the watchtower would be manned and they would know how many people lived her as well. There wasn’t all that much he could do to change any of that but perhaps the plans he had laid out with Harry would work. He had to hope they did, otherwise he might be spending the next five years wandering around alone as well. He shuddered at the thought.

Scanning the grounds again, he turned as though to return inside when something caught his eye. It was on the other side of the fence, yet he was drawn to it inexplicably. Lying there, discarded amongst the grass was something shining. He tried to reach out to it but his arm just wasn’t quite long enough. Removing his wand, he thought about accioing it to him but paused. Hermione had said that using magic would attract the Restless and the last thing they needed was a bunch of them turning up. Knowing their luck, the Death Eaters would attack at the same time… In fact, he glanced at the item again, trying to make it out in the gloom and wondered why it was there.

Rising slowly, knees clicking as he did so, he shook his head, it would be of no surprise if it had been planted there to attract someone. He rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them and turned away from the object. Making a mental note to warn everyone that they could be lures, he returned to the relative safety and comfort of the prison. Not wanting to succumb to the oppressive atmosphere of the mess hall, he wondered whether he’d be welcome in Hermione’s cell. They’d been getting on rather well of late and he couldn’t see why not. However, she had looked exhausted earlier on and she could use some undisturbed rest. They would both need to be on high alert over the next few days and spending their nights wrapped around each other was not going to allow them to do so. Letting out a sigh, he returned to his own cell and slipped under the blankets.

The attack didn’t come the next day.

Nor the day after that.

It didn’t come when the watchtower was manned or when everyone was busy. It didn’t come in the early evening when they’d gathered together to discuss some of the more mundane matters that had been put to one side.

The attack didn’t come during any of the heated arguments that had become common place over the past few days. It didn’t come during lunch time when they were sat in stony silence in the mess hall, no one daring to utter a word lest it spark another disagreement.

It came while most of them were sleeping

They bypassed the fence and appeared directly behind it. As soon as they arrived, Linnie sounded the alarm. Within moments, everyone was awake and on their feet but they had lost valuable time. Already, the Death Eaters were doing what they did best; destroying things. By the time could see what was happening, the irritating cackle of Bellatrix LeStrange could be heard as she, along with several others, trampled and kicked at the gardens. It had only just been repaired from last time and a wave of irrational anger flowed through him, colouring his sallow cheeks. A cold hand on his arm stopped him from rising further.

“Not now Severus, wait.” It was Hermione at his side. He jerked his arm from her grip, irritated at her fussing. As if he didn’t know how to fight. He’d been doing so since before she was born. She made no attempt to further placate him and instead listened to what was being muttered behind him. Knowing he should also be listening, he turned an ear towards Potter. He was murmuring something about making every shot could and not to kill if they didn’t have to. Severus snorted; it wouldn’t be like they would offer them the same mercy.

There was no more time for talk however; a bright flash filled the sky, illuminating the prison as though it was daylight. The compound was full of Death Eaters. Severus could see Lucius and Narcissa aiming their wands at the watch tower. A bright flash and a crack had the entire thing plummeting to the ground. Linnie and Matt had scampered out as quickly as they could, dodging this way and that, trying to avoid the wand blasts that were aimed at them. Harry, Remus and Hagrid, along with Molly and Ron began creeping around the edge of the prison. “Cover us!” Harry had whispered. That was that. Hermione had aimed her crossbow at the intruders and began firing. Severus supposed there was little else to do but join in.

It caused enough of a distraction at least, Bellatrix and Lucius flicked their wands towards where they were gathered – behind a barricade that had been erected and started firing them instead. Severus watched Hermione load and reload her crossbow, firing over and over again at them, willing them to fall almost. The sharp crack of gunfire joined the cacophony. Linnie and Matt made it to the barricade, both panting for breath, both covered in cuts but with no other sign of injury.

“Who are these people?” Matt breathed.

“Not nice,” Hermione said. Well, that was the understatement of the year! “They’ll see this place destroyed rather than let us live here,” she said. Severus couldn’t help wonder why the sudden change. They’d both been in close proximity for several months at least, why bother with them now?

There was a huge bang and the building behind them shook. Dust crumbled to the floor and there was a deep groaning sound, as though the prison had finally found a voice of its own. There was another boom, which was followed by a chilling crash. Hermione exchanged a glance with him, her eyes widening. “That was the fence,” she said.

Sure enough, when he glanced over the edge of the barricade, he saw the chain link fence had come crashing down and was now a rather tangled mess on the floor. The brilliant illumination, cast by the death eaters some moments before, had done its work. Many of the Restless were now pouring through the gap, attracted by the tasty magic that was being wielded. Severus shook his head and pushed black, dusty hair from his face. The deep, guttural moans, the cackling of the LeStrange woman and the constant crashing was all a bit too much. Rising from behind the barricade, he wielded his wand, brandishing it high in the air.

“Severus!” snapped Hermione. It was too late, the spell was on his lips and he was damned well casting it. There was no point holding back, the damage had already been done by their attackers. The Restless were already here. A jet of white light erupted from the tip of his wand and struck someone in black. There was a sort of scream and the air suddenly filled with the stench of burning flesh.

 “We’ve no choice, look!” he said as he ducked back down again.

Her eyes widened as she looked over at what was going on. His eyes followed hers; there was no sign of the others. Linnie and Matt turned their attention to the Restless, picking them off with their guns as best they could. Lavender ran out of the prison with Tonks hot on her heels.

"Oh God!" Lavender hissed, "It's Moody!" she panted.

"What do you mean?"

Before there was time to answer Hermione's question, the lumbering, dead form of their friend shambled round the corner. A deep moan sounded from his slack jaw and the roaming eye darted this way and that. Hermione's eyes widened, Linne gave a little squeal of surprise and the other two girls stood there watching as he shuffled slowly forward.

"Don't just stand there, do something!" Lavender squealed. Tonks took one of the knives that were lying on the floor where they were crouched and nodded. "Not that!" she hissed, trying to grab her arm. Severus caught Lavender and nodded to Tonks.

"There's nothing else we can do now," he said as he pulled her away.

"But he'd our friend!"

"Not anymore," Hermione said. There was a pang of sadness in her voice as she spoke but at least she knew the truth of it. Tonks walked up to the Restless being that had once been their friend and brought the knife up, thrusting it straight into his skull with all the force she could muster. A sickening crunch, a spray of black blood and their friend's body fell to the ground, lifeless as it should be. The rest of the compound was now full of Restless. There wasn't a Death Eater around and Severus realised that this had been their plan all along, start the battle and then let the Restless finish them off. As he looked over the compound, he watched, helpless, as their crops were destroyed and the rest of the fence pulled down.

"We have to get inside," he said. The Restless were moving closer and closer to where they were hidden, dangerously so.

"What about Harry?" Lavender said.

"This isn't the only way in, he'll be alright." Severus said. He shot at another Restless as it approached where they were. Several more turned towards them. "Quickly." He made a motion with his hand for them all to get behind him and begin retreating. Slowly, far too slowly, they fell backwards.

Just as the snapping jaws of the Restless approached, Severus was yanked backwards and the door slammed shut with a final crash. Leaning against it, panting for breath he watched Hermione wiped some of the dust from her eyes. "I just hope they make it round," she whispered. Severus nodded and slumped against the wall, not knowing quite what to do next.


	22. Chapter 22

Hermione stood with her hands resting on her knees, breathing slowly in and out, focusing on that and that alone. She tried to force her thoughts to the side, tried to not think about the friends they had left outside, tried not to remember that she once more seen one of their friends fall to the ever present threat of the Restless. She pulled in another breath and exhaled, this time, it was more a sob than anything else and she knew she was losing the battle of keeping herself together. Brushing her hand against her eyes, she forced herself to stand upright and look around. Harry was still out there.

“Come on Hermione.” It was Severus who spoke and she looked up into his severe black eyes, “There are things we can do here.”

All of a sudden, his calming demeanour was the last thing she wanted. Instead of soothing her nerves, she found it grated, “How can you be so calm?” she snapped, “They’re still out there, they’re still fighting while we’re in here safe.” A look of hurt crossed his stern features and shook her head, “How can that be fair?”

“Hermione…”

“Just…” She didn’t bother finishing her sentence; instead, she stormed away, needing to be away from the door, away from him and above all, away from the moment. Her breath came in pants as she strode down the corridor. Paying no mind to where she was going, she eventually stopped when she found herself in the little room they had called a library. Looking around, she found it all rather pathetic. How could they even pretend to be civilised? They were living in a world where the dead walked and ate the living. Where the bite of a Restless was death and there was nothing anyone could do to explain it. Worse, Harry, saviour of the world, had been the cause of it. From what they knew there was no way of fixing it either.

A cry escaped her lips and she placed the crossbow down. She hadn’t realised that it was still in her hand. Stalking between the shelves, she found the one she knew was loose and gave it an almighty heave. It wobbled a couple of times so she pushed it again. This time, it came crashing down. The books toppled over and landed in a jumbled heap on the floor. It wasn’t enough, turning to the next one, she screamed and pushed that over too. The sound it made was satisfying and so she turned on the rest of the room.

When the room resembled the world outside, she leaned against a section of blank wall and slid to the floor. Tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks and she let the sobs take her. Burying her head in her hands, she gave in to the emotion completely. It wasn’t fair that her friends were out there and she was in here. It wasn’t fair that Tonks had been forced to kill Moody. It wasn’t fair! She lifted her head and picked up one of the books at her feet. It was a particularly battered copy of _Jane Eyre_ , one that she had seen before.

She opened the cover and began leafing through the well-read pages. One of them fluttered away from the binding and a wet spot appeared on the rest of the volume. This was Severus’ book. The one he had travelled with for those years when he had been alone. It hadn’t been fair. He’d wondered for five years, alone and friendless and he hadn’t complained at all. He’d born it all rather well. He hadn’t raged about it, nor had he destroyed anything…

Looking around the room, she had the decency to feel ashamed about what she had done. The library had been her idea after all. She had insisted they keep it when everyone else had said otherwise. How else were they going to preserve their humanity? Otherwise they’d be no better than those they ran from and the Restless. Shaking her head, she wiped her tears from her eyes and picked up one of the smaller bookshelves. Strong as she was, she would need some help if she was going to set this place right.

As she looked around, she realised that this was going to take hours. No time like the present though. She placed Severus’ book on the shelf and bent to pick up a few more. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when she sat back and looked at the two she had finished. There was still a lot to do but she had made a decent start. When she stood up, she realised that she should probably go and apologise to Severus. She’d been rather short with him and it was undeserved. Besides, she could also use something to drink.

 When she reached the messroom, she saw Matt and Linnie discussing something. Lavendar and Tonks were nowhere to be seen, neither was Severus, “Have we heard anything?” she asked. Linnie shook her head, her red rimmed eyes showing exactly what she was thinking.

“Not yet,” Matt said. Hermione nodded and poured herself some water. She pressed her lips together in frustration before turning and leaving the room. Heading back to the library, she resolved to get the place straightened us as best as she could. When she arrived, she found Severus was there waiting for her.

“What happened in here?” he asked. Although his arms were folded over his chest, there was no hate or malice in his voice.

“I owe you an apology,” she muttered as she placed her water to one side and picked up one of the books.

“No you don’t,” he said.

“Yes Severus, my words were uncalled for.”

He shook his head and dropped his arms, “We’ve all just been though something traumatic, your reaction was understandable, though I’d rather you took it out on me than the library.”

She looked over at him and gave him a weak smile, “It was rather pathetic of me,” she said as she placed the book back onto the shelf. She gave a little shrug before continuing, “Although I do regret speaking to you in that manner, can you forgive me?”

“I forgave you the moment you said it,” he said. The words seemed rather awkward coming from him and she did her best not to chuckle at them. He was being sincere and to laugh now would cause more damage than her caustic words had earlier. Instead, she strode through the remaining carnage and stepped into him. His arms were around her in moments and she relaxed. Burying her head into his arm, she inhaled his unique scent and sighed. Slowly, she turned her head to look up into his face and she gave a weak smile. Her gaze focused on the delicate arch of his top lip and she found herself biting her own. His eyes followed her gaze and an arrogant smirk crossed his face.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“That I really want to feel your mouth on mine right now.” The moment she responded, she did as she wanted, pressed her mouth to his in a gentle kiss. It was returned. A simple soothing gesture that was both kind and caring. It seemed like an age since they had shared any level of intimacy and as their mouths reacquainted themselves with each other, she remembered the last time. She smiled against his lips and chuckled.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You owe me…” she said. He raised a brow and the kisses they shared altered subtly, his tongue flicked against hers for the briefest moments before he broke the contact altogether. She tilted her head to the side and frowned a little, had she said something wrong?

“I do.” His tone was slightly playful and a grin crept onto his face. “However, we are both still covered in the grime of the fight.” He kissed her again, lingering on her lips for slightly longer than necessary, “We need to shower and change.” When she looked down at herself, she realised that she was indeed still covered in the grime and gore from their fight. She coloured but as she looked at him, she noticed that he was in a similar state. He ran a thumb down her cheek and pressed it into her skin, “Tonight, I will come to you.”

A shiver ran down her spine and although she was disappointed at not being able to take more from him now, the anticipation of having him later on was almost as sweet. Then he kissed her fully, forcing his tongue into her mouth and chasing hers around with all the passion and fire he had. She responded in kind, her arms curling around his waist and pulling him sharply against her. His held her close then and for the longest moment, nothing else in the world mattered or existed, it was just the two of them. As soon as it had begun, he broke the contact and stepped away, leaving her weak kneed and barely able to stand.

“Go and change Hermione,” he said. She nodded weakly and he left her standing there catching her breath. Damn it, when had he become such a decent kisser? Still, hadn’t all of his kisses left her like this? After a moment to recover herself, she drained her glass of water and headed to the showers. This was going to be the best shower she ever had. She’d make sure that there was no grime left on any of her skin. Stepping under the hot water, she felt another shiver trickle down her spine, her breath caught as she thought about all the things they would get up to later that evening.


	23. Chapter 23

As Hermione lay in bed starring at the ceiling, the only emotion that coursed through her veins was guilt. Well, maybe a little excitement too but mostly guilt. How could she lie there, in relative comfort and certain safety while her friends were outside, fighting for their lives. Ron’s laugh drifted passed her subconscious and she clenched her fist in the covers. It didn’t seem fair at all. It wasn’t and she knew that there wasn’t anything she could do to change that but it didn’t mean that she had to like it.

She’d spent the rest of that evening, after eating a light meal of cold vegetables and bread, by herself within her cell. She’d picked up the book she’d been reading before the attack and resumed, almost as if nothing happened. Her thoughts had only stopped her concentrating a couple of times and before she knew it, the book was on her chest and her eyes had grown heavy. Sometimes, there was nothing like the escapism that books gave.

Although she dearly wanted Severus to join her, she found it difficult to keep her eyes open. The warmth of the darkness enveloped her and as she snuffed out the light, she let the pull of unconsciousness take her away.

Her eyes flickered open when she became aware of another’s weight settling beside her. Murmuring, she rolled over, straight into someone’s arms. Instantly, she recognised his scent and buried her face into the crook of his arm. His warm hand ran along her cheek and settled as it cupped her chin, “Hermione,” he whispered. His voice was so low, in a tone she had hardly heard him use before. Far more sensuous and caring than it had been before, she found she liked it better this way and also knew that no one else would ever hear it. A shiver passed through her and she glanced up into the darkness.

“I dozed off…” she whispered. He stroked a hand along her cheek and she could almost hear his smile.

“We don’t have to do this if you’d prefer not to,” he said. She gave out a snort and this time, he did chuckle. Instead of answering with her voice, she pressed her lips up against his. They were so soft, so gentle and yielding. It was as though she was kissing him for the first time again. Her arms curled around his neck and she shifted so their bodies fit together a little better.

The rough fabric of his jeans grazed against her bare legs but it was far from an irritant, in fact, when she noticed how they hugged his limbs, accentuated the muscle there, she found it more than a little distracting. Running her hand over his side as she continued to plunder his mouth, she began to explore him all over again. His touch was light as he too began to explore her neck and shoulders.

His mouth left hers and began to pay more attention to other areas of her neck and shoulder. When he touched the spot just below her ear, she inhaled sharply and murmured something incomprehensible. The sensation did amazing things to the lower half of her body and she urged him to continue. Her hands did not rest on his side; she slowly pushed them up underneath his shirt and ran them over the contours of his bare stomach.

A noise, the likes of which she had not heard him make before, escaped his lips and this time it was her turn to chuckle. “What?” he said. She ran her palm over the area once more and he groaned.

“That,” she said. She couldn’t see very well in the dark but she was sure he had a look of indignation on his face. Sealing her mouth over his was one way of wiping it from his face. Parting her lips, she pushed her tongue into his mouth and for long moments, she was lost. Hands tangled together, fumbling for the buckle of his belt as they kissed. The only thing she could think of was how much she wanted him. All of him. No more hesitating, no more interruptions. She knew they had this time to be together and by God, she was going to make sure that happened. As soon as his belt flicked free, she began working on his zipper.

His hands tugged her t-shirt up and found her breast. Heat flooded her and she was sure the room had increased in temperature. Her lips parted as she drew in a hasty breath before her mouth crashed into his once more. Wiggling, she managed to remove the t-shirt she was wearing, allowing him better access to her skin. She then tugged on his and he followed suit. Although she couldn’t see, she still explored further. His skin was so soft, and the sounds coming from his lips told her she was finding all the right spots.

Flashes of heat rolled through her as his hand now began the descent along her body towards the waistband of the panties she was wearing. Squirming a little, she gasped as he parted her flesh and rubbed a thumb over her sensitive nub. “That good?” he murmured.

For the first time, she was struck with the fact that he may not be completely confident in what he was doing. It seemed like a daft question, it felt better than good, “Don’t stop,” she replied. He seemed to relax a little after that and his sure hand continued to send waves of fire through her trembling body.

Her hands thrust into his silky black hair as the pressure building at the base of her spine became too much for her. Her breath came in short pants and her focus narrowed. She was sure she was heading towards something huge, something she could hardly comprehend. Sure, she’d had orgasms before but not for a long time and not like this. Her vision blurred but just at the point of release, he withdrew his hand. She let out a snort and frowned.

He didn’t make a sound, only shifted so that he settled between her thighs, his arousal nudging at her now slick sex. She inhaled sharply at the knowledge but something nagged at the back of her mind. Something was missing… something… She sat up sharply and scooted up the bed a little way, “What is it?” he asked. The uncertainty was clear in his tone and she patted his arm.

“This,” she said as she groped around on the floor. Finding the little packet she’d saved for this occasion, she tore it open and fished out one of the foil wrapped condoms. Carefully, she opened it and ran her hand down his chest. When it was in place, she scooted back down the bed and grabbed his shoulders. He seemed to understand as he sank down with her and took her mouth with his once more.

Her hands slid down his back as he lay over her, kissing her mouth as though it was the most precious thing in the world. Perhaps, at that moment, it was. He certainly tasted divine and that wasn’t something that she was going to let go of willingly. She revelled in him until she realised that he seemed to be waiting for something. Permission perhaps? Either way, her hands ran down his bare back until the found him bum, which she gave a squeeze and wiggled her hips a little, encouraging him forward.

Needing no further hint, he pressed forward with his hips and she was overwhelmed with the sensation of fullness. They both remained motionless for a long moment, adjusting to the new feelings flooding through them. Then he flicked his hips. A moan followed from her and she rose to meet him. Slowly, the found a rhythm that suited them both, her legs wrapped around his waist and he leaned forward on his arms, preventing her from being crushed by his weight. “You feel amazing,” she managed to whisper. It sounded lame to her even as she said it but she wanted him to know he was doing wonderful things to her.

He responded by kissing her lips gently, taking her breath way once more. The heat that he had left behind built once more and he quickened the pace. She rose to meet his every thrust and soon, the noise coming from her mouth was unrecognisable. His long strokes turned to jabs and his breath washed over her slick skin. Without warning, she slammed into a wall of pleasure and she began shuddering as her release swarmed around her. His cry of release closely followed hers; she tensed and clenched around his pulsing length and for a long moment, she remained completely out of sync with the rest of the world.

Slowly, they both relaxed. He sagged over her and she tenderly held his shoulders as he sucked in great gasps of air. When his breathing had returned to something resembling normalcy, he rolled over and flopped down beside her. She turned and buried herself in his arm, nuzzling into his damp side with all the affection she could manage.

“Thank you,” he whispered. She tilted her head a little, it seemed like an odd thing to say and she ran a hand along his sallow cheek, tucking black hair behind his ear.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, aware that it was just as ridiculous and not caring either way. Her eyes became heavy once more and she felt the call of sleep picking at her once more. Before she fell asleep however, she pressed her lips to his cheek and let out a content sigh, “Wish we could stay this way forever,” she said. It was foolish, romantic drivel and she knew it but there was nothing to stop her speaking her mind at the moment.

“Me too,” he murmured in a sleep clouded voice. She let her eyes drift shut but just as sleep was going to claim her, there was a loud bang on the side of her cell.

“We need you!” It was Matt. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder.

“What is it?”

“Linnie has spotted some people on the other side of the wall.”

She exchanged a glance with Severus, who gave her a nod in the gloom. Letting out a deep sigh, she sat up, feeling a pleasant tingle in her body as she did, “Give us a moment,” she said as she stood up. There was no way they could sleep now, what if it was Harry?


	24. Chapter 24

It took a couple of minutes for him to register what was going on. The knock had disrupted the fine haze that had descended over him well enough but it took another moment for it to sink in. People. By the fence? How had Linnie seen them? Surely she wasn’t outside! That would be ridiculous in their current situation. Still, he’d sat up and yanked the jeans back over his narrow hips and they were now striding down the corridor. Hermione was walking at a much quicker pace and Severus found that he resented whatever it was that had been seen. They should be enjoying their moment together, not stalking towards the unknown danger without a clue what was going on.

The moment they entered the mess hall, the noise reached cacophonic levels and he cringed. Blistering white spots prickled in front of his eyes and he pinched the bridge of his nose. It was similar to the Great Hall during feast days. Funnily enough, he’d not suffered a migraine since the dead had started walking. Why his mind thought now was a good time to start was beyond him.

He coughed. The noise stopped. A small smirk played at the corner of his lips; apparently he still had some form of power after all, “What is out there?” he asked. Settling down into one of the seats, he folded his fingers together and rested them on the table, “And please, one at a time, I can’t hear anything when you all speak at once.”

It was Linnie who spoke, “There were people outside, moving beyond where the fence used to be,” she said, “I couldn’t make out who it was, it’s too dark out there, but there were three of them. Hermione sank into the seat beside him and covertly gave his knee a tender squeeze. He didn’t look around but  the corner of his mouth twitched a little.

“How did you see? I thought out there was overrun,” he said. The look on the girls face was one he recognised from his school days. The look of one who was guilty of something and wasn’t entirely sure what to do about it.

“There’s a view point at the top of the stairs, it’s not much but it lets you look out there. I saw it from there,” she said after a moment. He wondered at the pause. Maybe she was being genuine, maybe not.

“You said that there were three of them?” Hermione asked. Linnie nodded.

“I think so, I saw three shapes anyway.”

“Could we get to them?”

“Not easily, there are still a lot of the Restless lingering out there.” This time, it was Matt who spoke. The young man had the decency to look a little fearful at the idea and Lavender almost wailed at the thought. He was unsure whether these were the ones who had got the through the war with The Dark Lord or not. Somehow, he found himself wondering if those times had been simpler…

Dismissing the thought as ludicrous, he pinched the bridge of his nose again and let out another sigh, “I don’t know what we can do about it right this moment,” he said making sure he kept his voice low. “We can’t get out there; we have no idea who they are either. For all we know, it could be the Death Eaters and the last thing we can afford to do is walk into one of their traps.” He looked at their frustrating blank faces and shook his head, “Am I speaking a different language?” he snapped.

“Severus,” Hermione said softly. Her hand covered his on the top of the table and he jerked his head around. Her soft eyes met his and he shook his head slowly. “Your point has been recognised and I agree with you,” she said, “As frustrating as that is, there isn’t all that much we can do about it right now.”

“I can keep a look out,” Linnie said with a small shrug, “Let you know if I see anything else,” she added.

“That’s good. I think we could all use some-“ Hermione’s words were cut off by a loud pounding from down the corridor. It sounded as though someone was knocking on the door of the prison. The back door!

A quick glance was exchanged before everyone was on their feet and pelting towards the door at full speed. Severus decided that they could find out what was happening. If it was one of theirs, and they’d been out there all this time, it was likely that they would need some form of medical attention. Instead of heading to the door, he went to retrieve the supplies that they had stolen from Doncaster a few days ago. Was it really only a few days? It felt like an eternity.

The moment he had the supplies in hand, he turned on his heel and headed to the door to where everyone else was. When he arrived, the door had already been opened and the person allowed entry. Lying on the floor, in a broken and bloody heap, was Ron Weasley. Of all of the ones who had gone out there, it would have to be Weasley who came back. His head was resting on Hermione’s knees, his eyes half closed. Blood oozed from multiple wounds, his face had been beaten to the point where it was just one bruise and it was rapidly changing colour.

He let out a pathetic whimper and tears streamed from his swollen eyes. Severus pushed aside the part of him that disliked Ron and bent down to get a better look at his injuries. There were multiple, some of them severe. “Hermione, I need you to pass me what I ask for from that bag,” he said as he scanned his body. Some of the wounds on his chest had begun to scab over, trapping his shirt in with it. “Scissors first,” he said.

Hermione did as she was told and dug them from the bag. “Linnie, hot water,” he barked. The girl scampered off without question. The moment the scissors were in his hand, he began cutting away the shirt he wore. Ron made no protest, in fact, he’d stopped whimpering altogether. Severus could only hope that he had passed out, it would make this that much easier. Some of the cuts and lashes on Ron were deep on closer inspection and before he knew it, his hands were red and sticky. None of them seemed to have hit anything major however, which was a small miracle.

In fact, when he looked again, all of Ron’s injuries were from either blows or a knife. None of them were bite marks. “These were done by people,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Lavender asked as she handed him a fresh wet cloth.

“There are no bites on him; these were done with fists and knives. Look here,” he said indicating a perfectly straight gash. Lavender grimaced but nodded when she followed his observations. Hermione handed him a needle and thread from the bag and he set about stitching up the wound he had just cleaned. Ron muttered something but didn’t cry out, even when the needle pierced his flesh. Perhaps Severus had been overly harsh on the boy; he was certainly showing his bravery now.

“Why would they do this?” Hermione asked.

“I would have thought that you of all people would understand how Death Eaters operate,” Severus said as he finished the final stitch. Placing the needle down, he began to wind a clean bandage around his patient’s chest. The other wounds were not nearly as deep as this and as soon as he had that one bandaged, he set about cleaning and covering them. Hermione had fallen silent at his comment and perhaps he had been a little bit cruel with his words. Then again, he wasn’t known for his particularly civil tongue so he kept silent and continued working on Weasley.

As soon as he was finished, he placed his equipment back into the bag and nodded. When he rose, pins and needles shot through his thigh. Damn it he was getting far too old to be kneeling on the floor for extended periods of time, “We’ll get him to the medical wing and when he wakes, we’ll get some of the remaining antibiotics into him.”

“Does he need them?” Matt asked as he scooped up the now red bowl of water.

“I don’t know, we could leave it and see what happens but I’d rather not run the risk, especially after what happened with Moody.” Severus shrugged. With the help of Matt and Hermione, they managed to get Ron upright and stagger down the corridor with him until they reached the medical room. After making sure that he was settled in the bed, Severus sank into one of the seats and let out a yawn. Running a hand over his face, he pushed inky black hair from his forehead and let out a sigh. The white light had returned with vengeance and although he wanted nothing more than to pull Hermione over and give her a hug, he knew it would likely make him throw up.

He caught her looking at him in an odd way and he tilted his head to the side a little. The movement was instantly regretted and the lights lanced through his skull, threatening to break it into tiny pieces. “Are you alright?” Hermione asked. Her voice was louder than the roar of ten suns but he gave her a small smile.

“Headache,” he replied. “Not so loud.”

She walked over and placed a cool hand on his screaming forehead, “You’re rather warm, why don’t you go to sleep? I can watch Ron for now.” He gave her a grateful smile and looked over at the couch on the other side of the room. It did look rather inviting. Pushing out of the chair he was in, he sank onto the sofa instead. It didn’t take long for the blackness to overwhelm him. Before he fell asleep fully, he became aware of a blanket placed over him and a smile graced his usually sombre face. Sleep claimed him in seconds.


	25. Chapter 25

Hermione had forgotten what sleep was. The only thing she had managed to snatch over the past three days was a hasty nap now and again that was always interrupted by either Ron’s pain filled wailing or Severus’ harsh voice. His migraine had lingered on and on, leaving her as the chief nurse for her less than grateful friend. The only thing that had come out of Ron’s mouth over the past three days was garbled nonsense and moans.

It was time to change his bandages yet again and she knew she would get no assistance from the ginger lad. She let out a sigh and pulled a couple of fresh bandages from the shelf and began unrolling them. That they were out of date did nothing to deter her and she pushed aside the bitter thoughts that threatened to overwhelm her. Picking up the scissors, she cut through the dressing of his arm and removed it quickly. Ron muttered something about her being rough but she ignored him. The wound was healing at least, there was no trace of green or smell as she discarded the used dressing. She picked up the wet cloth and washed the injury. With a bit of luck, this would be the last time she would have  to do this.

As soon as she was done, she wrapped it up and began on the rest of his wounds. When she reached the dressing covering his chest, she began cutting sharply, wanting to get the job over and done with. A yawn escaped her lips, just as Ron yelped, “Ouch!” he said. “Be careful!”

“Talking now are we?” she snapped.

He let his head fall back and she caught a tear in his eyes. A pang of guilt flowed through her and she shook her head, “I’m tired Ron,” she said, as if that would be a decent apology. She did try to be a bit more gentle after that and he returned to starring at the wall. Her eyes narrowed at that and she shook her head, “I think you need to tell us what happened.”

Ron said nothing, just lay there, staring.

Hermione shook her head and let out a deep sigh, this wasn’t going to get any of their missing friends back. “Where are the others Ron?” she asked, trying to change tactics.

This time, he just shook his head.

Hermione’s eyes narrowed. She couldn’t believe how selfish he was being. They had no idea where they were, whether they were alive or not. No idea if they were safe and all he could do was lay there, stare at the wall and shake his head. Nothing he had seen could be so bad as to drive all coherence from his head.

“Where are they,” she asked again.

Once again, he refused to engage.

“Ron Weasley!” Hermione snapped. This time, she threw the wet sponge at his head. It hit him square between the eyes and her pitch rose. “You listen to me right now!”

This time, he had the balls to look at her.

“Our friends are still out there, we have no idea where they are but you do. How can you just sit there and do nothing while they continue to suffer!” She stopped herself from continuing and took a deep breath. When all he did was whimper, she no was no longer bit her tongue, “How can you be so selfish? You need to start speaking Ron Weasley or so help me; I will throw you out of these doors and let the Restless take you!”

“They killed mum!” Ron said. That stopped her talking. “They just… they let Hagrid turn and then threw her in the pit with him. Forced us to watch.” He shuddered at some memory of that moment and Hermione sat down. That was indeed bad news. Both Hagrid and Molly were dead. Both of them had looked after her and her friends since she was a precocious student and their loss stung. It did more than that actually. She wrapped her arms around her chest and shook her head. A familiar numbness crept over her limbs and she leaned her head forward.

“I watched as what was Hagrid tore my mother apart. His teeth… I don’t…” His words trailed off and she heard him swallow, a dry click that was followed by a small whimper. She knew he was crying by the sniffling that followed but she forced her own tears back.

“What about the others Ron?” she asked. “Harry and Lupin?”

“They’re in the basement,” he said after taking a moment to wipe away the tears. Hermione scuffed the chair over to the side of the bed on which he lay and took hold of his hand. It wasn’t all that much comfort she knew, and it was a pale thing but it was the best she had at the moment.

“Tell me everything Ron,” she said.

It took a moment for him to collect his thoughts, and a bit longer to find his voice but she found that now she had heard some of it, she had a lot more patience that before. He told her how after they had got separated from the main group, the Death Eaters had cut them off from returning and forced them into submission. Unable to escape due to their superior fire power, they were still using magic without thought of the effects, the group was subdued and dragged off back to where the Malfoy’s had taken up residence.

Hermione cursed Draco for a coward but Ron just shook his head, “Don’t knock him yet,” he said. He then said about how Hagrid had been bitten during the fight and that Bellatrix saw this as an opportunity to rid them of two problems at once. “It was all her. She hissed at mum in the cackle of hers to climb in the pit. Of course, mum refused but that made no difference. They forced her to do it anyway. Bellatrix said that for her impertinence, we had to… had to watch.”

Here, Hermione gave Ron’s hand a gentle squeeze, “You don’t have to tell me all the details Ron,” she said. Truth be told, she wasn’t all that keen on hearing how Molly had died; just knowing the fragments was bad enough. Ron shook his head and fell silent.

“After that, well, they wanted to know everything. I guess they thought that I was an easy target so they went for me first.” Here, he looked down at the scars that littered his body and shook his head again. “I didn’t say anything though, not even when they left the blades in and twisted them.”

“How did you escape Ron?” Hermione asked. Hearing the details of what had happened was traumatic enough. She had the decency to feel guilty about shouting at him for lying there and would apologise as soon as he had finished speaking.

“Draco,” he said simply, “He isn’t exactly happy about what happened. He unchained me one night and showed me the way out. Couldn’t do anything else as he’s watched almost as closely as we are, he told me to run and not look back.”

“Do you think he would help us get the others?” Hermione asked. Ron shook his head.

“I don’t know.”

Silence fell between them and Hermione sat digesting all the information that Ron had said. There was rather a lot to take in and she didn’t feel any better for knowing where her friends were. What if they were being tortured just as Ron had been? She shook her head and looked back at her friend with new admiration. “I’m sorry for shouting at you.”

Ron shook his head and she bowed her head, humbled to be forgiven so quickly. “It’s alright Hermione but I must say, your bedside manner really sucks,” he said. The thought made her smile, he sounded so much like the young boy she had gone to school with in that moment that she giggled a little.

“It’s me or Severus,” she snorted.

“Think I’d rather have you,” he said. He coughed then and fell silent. Hermione couldn’t help recall the altered state of their relationship and she flushed a little. The silence shifted from comfortable to awkward and she shifted in her seat, dropping his hand.

“Can I get you anything?” she asked, more to break the silence than anything else.

“Glass of water and some KFC would be fine.” She snorted at the reference he made to their one visit and shook her head.

“The water I can do, but I’m afraid that all we have is chicken stew.” Hermione said with another laugh.

“That’ll have to do.” Ron said. She smiled at him before making her exit. His words were deeply troubling and she found herself thinking about them all the way to the mess hall and all the way back. She also knew that she would have to call a meeting with the others to discuss their next course of action. Thing was, there were fewer of them now and she had no idea whether a rescue mission would be something they could do. Surrendering to the Death Eaters wasn’t an option either, not so long as Bellatrix was about anyway. There was no way she would be able to put herself under that woman’s mercy, not again. A shudder ran through her and she dismissed the bad memories.

She returned to Ron and deposited his food and water on the side. “I’ll be back in a while alright,” she said. When he nodded, she grabbed a couple of pills and headed back to her cell to see her other patient. This one was sitting up, which made a change from the last day. There was a little bit of colour in his face as well, which told her that he was recovering quickly.

“How are you?” she whispered, knowing that loud voices wouldn’t be welcome.

He gave her a nod, “The worst of it is passing,” he said. She handed him the tablets and he swallowed them with a swig of water.

“I spoke to Ron,” she said after a moment.

“And…?”

“We need to get everyone together; it’s bad.”

Severus nodded and hauled himself upright, “No time like the present.”

Hermione agreed, it was time to decide what the next move would be.


	26. Chapter 26

Somehow, he found himself back outside in the cold and on the road once more. A position he had not wanted to find himself in for at least another six months. Severus let out a small sigh, hitched the pack on his shoulder a little and flicked the loose strands of hair from his face. Glancing around, he did not smile, but he did acknowledge that he was no longer making this journey by himself, and that was an infinite improvement on the last five years. Stealing a glance at the back of Hermione, and her delicious behind as well, he realised he was more than grateful for her affection and her acceptance.

Perhaps it was for that reason he had agreed with her, and the course of action she had proposed. He knew it wasn’t for Weasley, that much was clear. He had no love for the ginger haired family. Ron’s expression when he had volunteered had said the red-head knew it as well.

A cool wind plucked at them as they crept through the undergrowth, heading back into Pontefract, back towards the safe house of their enemy and back into danger. Rescuing Potter and Lupin was their agenda, and to learn all they could about the remaining Death Eaters. Killing Bellatrix would be a nice side mission as well, if they could manage it! Dismissing the thought, he glanced to his left, then his right. The path they followed was silent; too silent. There wasn’t a bird singing, or a mouse moving. He placed a hand on Hermione’s shoulder, and stopped in his tracks. Something was wrong.

“What is it?” Hermione whispered.

He hushed her with a gesture, she fell silent. They both listened for a moment longer before Hermione’s eyes widened. The undergrowth wouldn’t shield them for long. The thought must have touched them both at the same time, as Hermione’s hand found his and they began to run. Not a moment later, Restless burst through the brambles. How had they not noticed them before? Severus kicked himself for his lack of attention as they charged forward.

Hermione drew her large hunting knife from the sheath at her hip as they ran, he followed suit, although, his was his wand rather than a sharp implement. Reluctant to use it, it was a more formidable weapon than the knife she carried. It may attract other Restless, but it would be useful in a tight spot.

Severus’ legs began to burn as they ran, full speed, across the uneven field. Hermione’s hand was slick in his. Her breathing was quickening but the moans of the things behind them did not allow them to stop. When she stumbled, he yanked her to her feet, half pulled, half dragged her upright and they strode onwards.

Stealing a glance to his left, he noticed what he thought was a roof, “There!” he breathed. Hermione only nodded and they changed direction. A Restless snatched out a mouldy arm; Hermione jabbed her knife into its head, yanked it out again and the way was clear. The spray of black fluid splattered onto Severus’ face as she moved, he made a noise of disgust.

Abruptly, they burst through the undergrowth and found themselves at the door of a barn. There was a dead body, half eaten, lying on the ground at the door, and an overturned tractor with smashed windows loomed over it. “Quickly,” Severus hissed. The air stung as it was sucked into his fiercely pumping lungs yet he did not give up. To do so would be to invite death.

Hermione needed no such encouragement, she matched his pace, ignoring the grim sight at their feet and threw the door open. The dived through and pushed it shut just as the first Restless crashed into it. Severus glanced around the gloom as he braced himself against the door, “Find something heavy!” he managed to bark out. The door was shoved once again with a bang. Hermione began searching, he was aware of her crashing through the barn and moving objects around, he was forced to concentrate on not letting the ravenous Restless into their safe haven however and was unable to offer further assistance.

“There’s a barrel here!” she shouted.

“Get it over here,” Severus called back. The force of this blow threatened to push him from the door, he knew he’d not be able to fend them off for much longer, “Hurry.”

“I can’t move it, it’s full of water,” Hermione said. Severus cursed.

“Is there nothing else?”

“There’s a ladder… leading up to the hayloft.” Her discovery was a bit of a relief and he swallowed hard.

“Climb it,” he said.

“Severus!”

“Just climb the damned ladder,” he yelled. She paled a little when he used his teaching voice but he had no time to regret it. She did scoot up the ladder, however and yelled to say she was safe. Severus waited until the next bang. The moment the impact hit, he let himself be pushed forward. Darting as fast as his legs could carry him; he threw himself at the ladder and sprung up it. Hermione’s hands grabbed his shoulders and hauled him to safety. The moment her hands were on him, the ladder was knocked away by the clumsy beings beneath them.

As soon as he reached the safety as the hayloft, he slumped against the barn wall and let out a sigh. They sat, side by side, for a long moment, letting their breathing return to normal. The moans and grunts of the Restless permeated the air, but for the moment, they were safe.

“Sorry,” Severus said when his breath returned. Hermione frowned.

“What for?”

“I should have been paying more attention. If I was listening properly, we’d not be up here now,” he said.

“We’re both at fault in that,” Hermione said. She swept her loose bushy hair back from her face and shook her head, “We may as well get comfortable,” she said, changing the subject, “We may be here for a while.” She stuck her head over the edge of the hayloft and appeared to eye the creatures below them. The frustrated moans that followed emphasised her point and he shook his head. “Don’t look at me like that, it’s the truth,” she said as she scampered back over to where he sat.

Severus unshouldered the bag and set it to the side. Hermione leaned her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh. “Seems our rescue mission is going to be delayed for a while,” she said.

“At least there’s enough hay here to keep us comfortable,” he said.

“And warm too,” Hermione said. A gleam appeared in her eye when she lifted her head to look at him, and he frowned a little.

“What?” he asked.

“I don’t know about you…” her words trailed off as though she expected him to finish off the thought, he just shook his head, unable to follow her, “but I always wanted to do it in a hayloft.” Her words were punctuated by rather girlish sniggering and a wiggling of her eyebrows.

“How can you even think of anything like that right now?” he snorted. For a moment, she looked a little crestfallen, but he placed his hand on her knee and she laughed.

“I know it’s not exactly the best timing,” Hermione said. Severus merely drew her a little closer and pressed his lips to her temple, “But we’re here, and we’re going to be here a while.”

“You’re babbling Hermione, just be silent and-“ His words were cut off when her lips found his. Despite the absurdity of the situation, he found himself surrendering to her insistent passion. He parted his lips, allowing her in and let himself be swept away in the moment. Her hand tugged his hair from the band pinning it back before it was thrust into it. Moaning into her mouth, his fingers touched the side of her cheek in a tender gesture. He was struck once more at the absurdity of the whole situation, then her hand dropped below the waistband of his jeans and all other thoughts fled his mind.

***

After their passion was spent, they’d drifted into a content slumber, undisturbed by the moans of the Restless beneath them. When Severus awoke, the temperature had dropped significantly, and he was shivering. Realising that they would both freeze if he didn’t do something, Severus shifted and began pulling hay over them. It wasn’t the freshest he had ever smelled but it was better than freezing to death! Hermione muttered something and began to sit up, “Stay,” he said, “I’m just getting something to warm us.”

“Hmmm,” she murmured again before she curled up. Severus was about to drag a load more hay over them when he heard something below them. It wasn’t the moaning of the Restless, nor was it the shuffling of an animal. It sounded a lot like… people. Moving silently, he nudged Hermione. She opened her eyes once more and inched over to where he was crouched.

“Someone’s definitely been in here,” shouted a voice from below them, “Ladder’s moved for a start.”

“Are they still around?” This was a woman’s voice who replied. Hermione and Severus exchanged glances. It wasn’t voices they recognised. Severus’ heart sped up; perhaps they would be able to help them… then again, perhaps not. They remained where they were for the time being, watching and waiting to see what would happen.


	27. Chapter 27

Hermione’s blood thundered through her ears as she watched the people scrabble around in the barn. Her thoughts were torn. One the one hand, these people might be able to help them. It had been a long time since they had seen any other living souls that were not already known to them and that in itself was an exciting idea. Then again, they might be dangerous; were dangerous if they had survived this long, and might want to hurt them. Not everyone was as welcoming as their group was and she would do well to remember that.

Severus had slipped his wand into his hand and was giving her a look that said they should be more than careful. She nodded and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, letting him know that she understood. They had to focus on getting Harry and Lupin away from the Death Eaters, not make new friends, or enemies, along the way.

“Are you sure it wasn’t just the dead?” one of them shouted.

“The dead don’t move things neatly, they just knock shit all over,” came the reply.

“Why don’t you go and see if they’re still here then?”

Hermione exchanged a look with Severus, and bit her lower lip. His eyes narrowed as the sound of someone approaching the ladder reached them both. She shook her head. It would be best if they were not discovered, “We need to go,” she whispered as softly as she could.

“What would you suggest?” he said, flicking fine strands of black from his face. “There is no other way out of here.”

She felt the blood drain from her face as she realised that they were caught like rats in maze. Swallowing hard, she knew of one way to escape but that posed enough risks of its own. There was no other way however and she knew they had to risk this; “We can apparate.” Hermione said.

“Are you mad?” Severus said.

“If we go directly to the Death Eater compound, the confusion will give us enough to find everyone and get away,” Hermione explained.

“And what of the abominations?”

“We’ll leave them for the Death Eaters.” Hermione said. She knew the risks of apparation were high, and that the undead creatures they now brought forth were something to be reckoned with. Their ferocity and hatred of the living made the Restless look like field mice in comparison but she saw no other way. “What else could we do?” She watched the thoughts flicker through his black eyes and knew he would come up with nothing better. There was a curse from below them, reminding them both that the luxury of thinking time was one they didn’t currently have.

Severus inched over to where she was crouched, took her hand and gave it a squeeze, “Hermione, once we go, we won’t have time to think, we’ll just have to move,” he said.

“I know,” she replied.

“It’s likely we won’t survive,” he added. She had seen the abominations early on, knew what they were capable of and why this was so dangerous.

“I know.” She slipped her hand into his much larger one and laced their fingers together. Without another word, he initiated one of the fiercest kisses she had ever encountered. He flooded her very senses, as though this was the last time they would ever do so and for a moment, she was completely lost in him. The sound of someone ascending the ladder broke the kiss and he nodded. She focused her mind on the place they wanted to be and uttered the spell.

In the next instant, the crushing, screaming sensation of apparation engulfed her, followed by a tingling sense of dread. It filled her very being, the feeling of being chased by something so monstrous, so deadly and so completely loathsome that all she wanted to do was flee. All she could do was concentrate, and yet it still felt as though all this creature had to do was stretch out its fingers and she’d be caught.

She was screaming as soon as they arrived. Her feet hit solid ground and she was running, it didn’t matter where to, just away from the perverse feeling behind her. Severus’ hand was still in hers and he was running beside her. An awful moan sounded, if it could even be called that. It rattled the windows and as the thing stomped after them, the ground shook. Hermione didn’t dare look behind her; instead, she forced her legs to keep carrying them forward. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen the damned creatures before… They were between seven and eight feet tall, made up of different body parts that was mangled together somehow and exuded evil.

She had forgotten about the smell. That engulfed them both and made her choke. The putrid stench of decay oozed around them both as they tried to escape. When the abomination roared, the sick sweet stink of rotting flesh engulfed them, making her gag. There was no time to stop however; their only hope was to keep moving. In front of them was a door, Hermione charged headlong into it, yanked it open and darted through. Severus slammed it behind them just as the huge fists of the creature crashed into it.

“What on Earth is going on here?” Came the disgruntled voice of Draco Malfoy. Hermione and Severus both turned around and braced their backs against the door. “Severus? Hermione?” he said, his eyes widened in disbelief.

“Hi Draco,” Hermione said, “Got an abomination on our heels…” At that, the door pounded and a huge roar made the windows rattle once more.

“Holy shit!” Draco cursed. “You have to get out of here, if my dad finds you.”

“I think there are worse things to worry about that the anger of your dad,” Severus said as the door was bashed again, “Perhaps finding something to wedge this door shut would be one of them,” he suggested. Draco nodded and began searching around the house, looking for something of use.

“How about that?” Hermione said pointing to a nearby barrel.

“That’s drinking water.” Dracp protested.

“Won’t be here to drink it if we don’t get this thing shut.” Her reply was a little curt perhaps but the idea of getting splattered by an abomination was not one she was currently enjoying. Draco began tugging on the heavy barrel. As soon as it was in place, they moved to assist him with putting it against the door.

“Not going to hold it for long is it?” Draco asked. Severus shook his head as the doorframe splintered under another heavy blow.

“We need to get out of here,” Hermione said. Draco nodded and began jogging off. Not having much of a choice, Hermione and Severus followed their newest companion. They had no idea where they were going; however the only other way was back. There was a bang behind them and Draco changed from jogging to running.

“Where are we going?” Hermione asked.

“Away from here,” was the only response that she got. Severus looked at her pointedly but remained silent. A pang shot through her and her face flushed, it was hardly her fault that they were in this situation, at least they were away from the heavily armed muggles that would have no doubt shot them.

“Down here,” Draco said, leading them to a set of stairs that descended into what must have been a cellar. The scent of damp and disuse hit them as they went down the flight of slick stairs. Behind them, there was another band and the sound of a great slosh. A roar followed and another huge crack. “Quickly,” Draco barked. Hermione and Severus pushed passed him, and their new companion closed a set of doors behind them. The dark became thick and it took a moment for their eyes to adjust to their new location.

“What is this Draco?” Severus asked his voice little more than a hoarse whisper. Draco remained silent as he grabbed something from the wall. It was a battery operated torch by the look of it. He clicked it on and the passageway lit up.

“This will lead us to the houses across the street, from there, I will show you the way out and then you can go where you like,” he said.

“We’re here for Harry and Remus,” Hermione said. Draco had already began walking along, forcing her to trot alongside him.

“Impossible,” Draco said, “It’s bad enough that I’m helping you.” There was a hint of regret in his tone and Hermione swallowed hard.

“Where are they?” she asked.

“No way,” Draco shook his head. There was another crash from above them and the pace was picked up a little.

“Come on Draco, after everything, you’re still one of them?” Hermione said. If they had been standing still, she would have placed her hands on her hips.

“Is there another choice?”

“Join us,” she said. Severus snorted behind them but she ignored it. There was yet another bang and a puff of air rushed passed them.

“Hate to break up the getting to know you party but I think we need to run,” Severus said. A glance behind them showed a shaft of light glimmering through a broken fragment of door, “RUN!” he shouted again. There was no other option. Charging down the dim corridor headlong seemed like a foolish thing to do but once again, there was no choice. The abomination would be through those wooden doors in minutes. If they were caught in this passageway by that creature, then rescuing Harry and Remus would become the least of their worries. Getting turned into mere splatters would be far more pressing. Hermione’s hand found Severus’ and once more, they were running for their lives. The problem was that this time, they had no idea where they were going to.


	28. Chapter 28

The end of the tunnel came far too quickly. Bursting through the wooden doors at the end, Draco continued running. Hermione flew into the bright open air and pulled in a breath that was not fusty or damp. Severus was right alongside her; the ground shook as the abomination continued to push through the tunnel after them. The stench was unmistakeable and the noise of its guttural roar followed shortly after. She stopped running and turned around. “What are you doing?” Severus yelled. He tugged her hand but she did not yield.

Pulling out her wand, she aimed it at the end of the tunnel, “Are you mad? You’ll bring all the Restless down on us as well!” Draco said when he turned and saw what it was she was doing. Ignoring the protests of both of them, she cast the spell that would bring the tunnel crashing down on the thing that was trying to kill them. The moment the spell was finished, a deep rumbling from the building began to grow. For more than a second, they stood, mesmerised by the crumbling brick and shaking cement that held the building together. The rumbling grew as sections of the foundation began to collapse.

“Come on, we can’t stand and watch!” she shouted above the roar, “We need to run!” So they turned and ran, pelted headlong away from the collapsing street, away from the chasing abomination and away from danger. Two streets over, they paused to catch their breath. Hermione leaned on her knees, sucked in large lungful’s of air and willed the world to stop spinning. She knew she was fit, else she wouldn’t be alive but that chase had been something else.

Severus was every bit as bad as she was, and he was that much older too. Yet he seemed to recover first. The moment he straightened, so did she. Her eyes fell on Draco, who was still panting, “I think you better take us to Potter now,” he said. His voice was as smooth as it ever was but she could detect the hard note hidden within. So did Draco apparently because he paled a little more.

“I can’t,” he said shaking his head.

“Why not?” Hermione asked.

“Because I don’t know where he is.”

“Bullshit!” Hermione snapped.

“No, honestly,” he said as he straightened up, “I don’t know where father took him. Or Lupin either.” Hermione narrowed her eyes at her former schoolmate and shook her head.

“Why should we believe you?” she asked. It didn’t take much to recall how he and his family had washed their hands of them at the final battle at Hogwarts; deciding that turning their backs on the fight with disdain was better than actually choosing a side. The rage that was ever present in her blood these days threatened to bubble over onto the surface when a cool hand gripped her shoulder.

“I have an idea,” Severus said. Both Hermione and Draco looked at him, “We shouldn’t just stay here though, we can walk and talk at the same time.” He flicked black hair from his face with a quick jerk of his head and began walking. Not having a choice, Hermione and Draco followed him, eager to hear what he had to say. “Before I even discuss this, Draco, are you willing to help us?” he asked. Draco appeared to think that through for a moment. Clearly it was a difficult thing to think over as it took him longer than Hermione would have liked to. Did that mean he enjoyed what happened to Ron? She was about to mention something to those words when Draco replied.

“I’ll help you, what Bellatrix did to Molly was unthinkable and then to Ron as well.” He shook his head that was half way convincing. It seemed enough for Severus so she shut her mouth and listened to the plan.

***

The rope they’d scrounged to complete the plan chafed. Her hands were bound behind her and she stumbled forward as Draco tugged the rope a little harder. Hermione was unsure whether yanking it so hard was necessary but then again, it was all part of the ruse; a part of the trick to get them into the Death Eater’s house, to find where they were keeping Harry and Remus. The worst bit about it was not being able to reach the itch on her nose that had appeared the moment her hands were tied. Although they were not overly tight, Severus had made sure of that, she found it irritating that she had to be the one bound.

Oh she knew why well enough. Severus had been one of them once and Draco still was; she was the outsider, she was the one they would be interested in talking to, she was Harry’s friend. It had been a long time since she had felt so defenceless, and to be near the one who had carved that lewd word into her flesh was downright repulsive. Hermione kept her chin high and her demeanour haughty. It might not do her any favours in the long run but it made her feel a little better

The closer they got to the house however, the more she began to shake. At first it was nothing much, just a quickening of her pulse but the nearer they got, the worse it became. Before they turned the final corner, she stopped walking. “I just need a minute,” she said taking a deep breath.

“Alright?” Draco asked. Severus gave her shoulder a light squeeze.

“Yeah, this might be the last time before going in to catch a breath,” she said, “I don’t want to do this,” she added.

“Are you sure you’re up to it?” Draco said.

“We’ll be right there with you,” Severus said. She drew in a couple more deep breaths and straightened.

“I can do this,” she said with a nod. With that, they began walking again, straight towards the Death Eater’s stronghold.

***

A trickle of sweat threaded its way down Hermione’s spine. She had been dragged to her knees in front of the few remaining Death Eaters. Narcissa looked down at her derisively, as though she were a bug to be scrutinised, Bellatrix was a picture of utter malice and Lucius… well, she didn’t really want to even contemplate what he might be thinking. One of the Carrow twins stood behind them, gossiping without care to Antonin Dolohov. How he was still alive, she had no idea. She had thought he died in the café before the final battle. Turns out he hadn’t.

There was a hushed conversation between Draco and Lucius, Severus had been approached by Bellatrix and she had her dirty paws all over him as she spoke, rubbing her hands over his chest lightly, doing her best to be charming. It was all Hermione could do to keep the red mist from descending and hexing the bitch into the ground. Such action was not going to help save Harry or Remus and it was this alone that prevented her from doing anything. Instead, she shut her ears and kept her gaze on the floor. The blood rushing in her ears drowned out everything else she might have heard so when she was asked a question, she had no idea what they were talking about. Damn it.

She looked from Lucius to Draco and back again, opened her mouth and then shut it again, “Look at that, the Mudblood has lost her voice!” sang Bellatrix in her irritating shrill whisper. Why they still had to use that particular word was beyond her; the world was ending for goodness sake, did something like bloodline still matter? Apparently it did to these morons.

Apparently her ignorance was going to cost her this audience. Lucius merely waved her hand and Dolohov stepped forward, as though he had been waiting for this moment. He grabbed hold of the rope and yanked her to her feet, “Ow!” she hissed as the rope bit into her neck. Not a sound of protest came from Severus. She realised she had almost hoped he’d do something and was a bit disappointed when he didn’t. Dismissing this as counterproductive, she concentrated on keeping her feet while she was hauled out of the room.

She was dragged down a flight of stairs into a dark cellar, the damp smell had returned and she wrinkled her nose. A wooden door was thrown open and she was physically thrown into the room. The door slammed shut behind her and she heard the sound of a deadbolt being thrown shut. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the levels of light, but when it did, she let out a squeal of joy. For there, at the other end of the room, was Harry and Remus.


	29. Chapter 29

The moment the door slammed behind her, she turned and fled to her friends, “You’re alright!” she whispered as she threw her arms around them both. They greeted her warmly, with nods and murmured reassurances that they were indeed alright and they were glad to see her.

“What are you doing here?” Harry asked when she was finally able to let him go.

“We came to rescue you,” Hermione said.

“We?” Remus asked, a brow raised in amusement.

“Severus and I,” she said, “Ron made it back and told us what was going on,” she said. A breath of relief left Harry and she them proceeded to tell them everything that had happened up until the encounter with the former death eaters.

So you’re saying Draco’s with us now?” Remus asked. Hermione nodded but Harry gave a look that told her of his suspicions.

“I don’t know,” he said slowly, “Severus knew these people from before, how do we know he won’t do anything to get back in with them again?” he asked. Hermione swallowed and was sorely tempted to clout her best friend in the mouth. Sometimes, he could be so blinkered. Severus had been nothing but sincere from the moment he had joined them and would continue to be so until the group were either destroyed or the world returned to some sense of normality. Hermione didn’t bother to give a reply, instead she rolled her eyes. A glance at Remus showed that he was of the same opinion as she was, “Right,” said Harry after he too looked at the older man.

“So when is this going to happen?” Remus asked. “Not to pressure you but we’ve been down here for a while and I’m anxious to get away,” he added.

“Nightfall,” she replied, “Might as well get comfortable for a bit,” she added. Hermione made her way to the nearby wall and slumped down until she was resting on the floor. The meeting between her and the other Death Eaters hadn’t been all that traumatic; in fact, it had been over before it begun. She pushed a hand through her hair and let out a sigh. Was it all a bit too easy? No, now was not the time for doubts.

“Were there many of them?” Remus asked. He crossed over the basement floor and sank down beside her.

“We fled an Abomination, I wasn’t really counting the others,” she replied. It came out far more sarcastic than she had intended and she shook her head, “Sorry Remus,” she said before he could say anything else.

Harry joined them and laid a dirty hand on her shoulder, “We’ll eb out of here soon,” he said, “Back to the prison and safe again,” he added.

“Is that wise?” Hermione said.

“What do you mean? It has secure walls and we’ve managed to keep all the other Restless out of it for a long time.” Harry replied as he sat down on the other side of her.

“We’re here to get you out of here and nothing more, not to fight Death Eaters and not to kill them, get you pair and leave.” Hermione let out a little sigh before continuing, “They know where we live and will came back. Even if we build the walls again, even if we manage to keep all the Restless out, they will come back and try this all over again.” Hermione said. “I think we should move on and escape them for good.”

Harry’s face hardened at her words. He took a moment to think on her words before shaking his head, “Give up everything we’ve worked for because we’re being threatened by a few idiot wizards who cannot get over the past?” he said.

“Not just a couple of irritants Harry,” Remus said, “They’re the most dangerous wizards left on the planet,” he added.

“And we should just surrender to them?”  
“What are the other options?” Hermione said.

“We fight them,” he said. She snorted and shook her head, as though it was going to be that easy. Just kill them, those who had been fighting against people like them since before they were born. Slowly, she shook her head and sighed.

“I don’t think we can win Harry,” she said.

“So what? We just roll over and let them have it?” His voice was raised and she gave him a level look.

“We have to escape first,” Remus said. “This is something we can discuss when we are away from here and back at the base. Whether we stay or not is irrelevant, we will need to return there first,” he added. Hermione nodded and let her head hit back against the stone wall.

“True,” said Harry. He too leaned back against the wall and sighed. “The idea of giving up our home makes  me cold.”

Hermione nodded. The prison had become a sort of home for them all; they were able to sleep without fear of attack, grow their own food and sustain themselves relatively easily. The nearby town had supplemented their welfare for a long time and giving it up would not be done lightly. Where would they go for a start? There wasn’t many places that were safe, let alone secure. Hermione let the thought linger in her mind as she slowly shut her eyes. Her body ached from the chase with the Abomination and the stresses of meeting those who wanted her dead. Her head ached and slowly, she began to drift away.

***

A colossal bang brought Hermione out of sleep with a jolt. She was on her feet moments later, reaching for a knife in her boot that wasn’t there. Smoke filled the room and she coughed, clamping a hand over her mouth. She heard Harry muttering something beside her and felt Remus’ hand on her shoulder, “Careful,” he whispered. She nodded and he pulled her down to the ground. Crawling on the floor, all of them made their way to the door, seeing how it was no longer there and keeping them penned in.

“Come on, we don’t have forever,” Draco’s voice hissed through the gloom. Harry went first, giving Draco a curt nod as he passed. Hermione followed, Remus close behind her. “This way,” he said with a jerk of his head. They had no option but to follow him. If everything had gone to plan, Severus would be waiting for them just outside the cell.  He was. Hermione let out a breath of relief at the sight of him. She knew he would be there, had never been all that much doubt in her mind but seeing him just settled her completely.

This was no time for dramatic reunions however, they still had to get out of the house without being caught again and without attracting too much attention from the Restless. The explosion, created by Severus, had awoken everyone in the house but it would also draw the notice of the other inhabitants of the world. Their moans could already be heard, growing in volume by the second. Severus nodded at her before falling in step with them. None of them spoke. No words were needed. Smoke continued to flood the building, giving them a screen to get out of the house.

Draco halted. The sound of voices crept through the smokescreen and he ducked down. Hermione followed and held her breath. Close to them, came a heeled boot and a sharp word. It paused and glimpsed around. Never before had Hermione been so grateful for a sofa to hide behind. She swallowed, holding her breath so as not to be heard.

Lestrange snorted before striding away. Hermione let out a breath and they continued to crawl along the floor towards the way out. Cold air rushed into the atmosphere as they reached the door. The moment they were out, everyone straightened and began running; running away from the building which was now on fire and into the dark night. Severus’ hand caught hers and they were once more fleeing for their lives.

“HEY!” shouted Lucius’ voice from behind them. “Stop them!” His voice was already fading into the background however, as the moans of the Restless rose in volume.

“GO!” Remus yelled. As if they would need telling twice! Hermione’s lings began to burn as they fled through the concrete streets, heading back towards the prison as fast as they could. She could only hope that the Restless and the fire would be enough to keep the Death Eaters busy so they could escape cleanly.


	30. Chapter 30

By the time they arrived back at the prison, they were all breathless, sweating heavily and ready to collapse into whatever seat they could find. Unfortunately, there were far too many questions being thrown left , right and centre for that to happen. Harry was hounded by Linnie. Luna and Neville followed her and Tonks dragged Remus into her arms for a fiercely protective embrace. Severus’ hand never left hers as Harry directed everyone into the meeting room.

Ginny brought hot drinks for them all, stating that most of them looked blue. She also apologised that there was no hot food on hand but they’d been rather busy worrying that it had been neglected. Harry waved away her fussing with his hand and everyone settled down once more. The first order was to explain what had happened over the last few days and that they were indeed feeling fine, if a little tired. Hermione took the time to explain why Draco was now amongst them and although it earned a few snorts and dark looks, her explanation was eventually accepted. Even Ron gave an appreciative nod when she mentioned that they had returned only because of his assistance.

Silence fell. Hermione drew in a breath and shook her head before speaking again, “I didn’t want to have to face this the moment we got back but I don’t think we’re going to have much of a choice,” she said. Her words were heavy and she hoped everyone would realise the weight behind them. “We were unable to destroy the threat that was the former Death Eaters.” She looked around the room at the rest of her companions, seeing the realisation sink in.

“These are some of the most dangerous people to ever escape Azkaban,” Severus said after a moment. She gave his hand a squeeze before letting it go, He stood up and began walking back and forth. “I’ve had time to think about this and I believe we have two options available to us. We can stay here, behind these walls waiting for them to attack, or we can leave this place and find somewhere else to stay instead.”

Hermione nodded, glad he had come to the same conclusion that she had, “I know we have all worked hard here, that we’ve grown used to the safety of these walls but I don’t think we are strong enough to defend it against another attack.”

There was another moment of silence before everyone turned to each other and  began talking. She let them. Hermione knew that she wasn’t in charge of them and that it would have to be a joint decision about their future. It would take a bit of time for it all to sink in and for them to come up with a viable solution. Then again, she didn’t know how much time they would have and hoped that it wouldn’t take too long for a decision to be reached.

“What do you suggest then?” Harry said, continuing the discussion they had started in the cell, “We just surrender and leave everything that we have built over the last few years as though it means nothing.”

“I’m with Harry on this one; no way should we just give them everything we’ve built here.” Ron said.

“I agree,” Ginny said, “We’ve done too much here to just abandon it.”

“Look outside,” Matt said, “Most of what we’ve accomplished here was destroyed when they brought down the walls and let the Restless in. It’s already gone.” The young lad shook his head and snorted, “How much would it take for them to just come again and destroy the rest? We lost dear friends in that fight, we could easily lose more,” he added. Hermione found herself nodding along.

“I’m not suggesting we leave it for them to just take.” She found herself saying, “I think that, should we decide to leave here, we burn the place. That way, they cannot move in either.”

“That’s a foolish idea,” Draco said, speaking up for the first time.

“Oh?” Hermione, as well as the rest of the people in the room all turned to look at him, “Care to explain that further?”

“They attacked you because they want what you have, not going to deny that,” he said as he flicked white blonde hair from his face, “If you leave and burn this place, they’ll have nowhere to go. Did you ever wonder where they came from in the first place?” he said. Hermione, as well as a few others, shook their heads and she shifted in her seat.

“Go on Draco,” Ron said.

“We had a similar set up in the south, near muggle London.” His eyes met every one of theirs in turn as he spoke, “It was a cushy set up too, like yours. We captured it, killed the prisoners that had remained and turned it into a home. That was until they began experimenting with magic. We didn’t know then that it drew the Restless in hordes and so we cast it all the time, like before. At first this was fine but then, the Restless gathered around the walls. Eventually we were overwhelmed. Then father apparates in and an Abomination follows him out.” He paused for a moment, appeared to gather his thoughts together before continuing. “A lot of people died that day. From then, we spent the time trying to find somewhere else to stay. There are other prisons out there but none of them were an option.

“One of them was fine but we were unable to defeat the existing occupants and keep the place intact for us to use. We left it burning.” Draco shuddered at the memory.

“That’s all very well,” Harry said, “We’ve all been through some rough times but what has this got to do with our situation?”

“If you burn this place, leave it a ruin or whatever, the Death Eaters and what remains of my family will not stop roaming the land.” He swallowed and shook his head, “They’ll continue to be a pain.”

“But if they take this place, they’ll have somewhere to stay and not be a bother to anyone else…” Severus said. Hermione noted that there was a glint in his dark eyes that she hadn’t seen for a long time. Her brow narrowed and she shook her head, filing it away and resolving to ask about it later on.

“Exactly.”

This line of conversation caused a complete hubbub of conversation to well up and overtake them for a moment. She could hear protests against such an action. Some claiming that giving this place to the Death Eaters was as good as rolling onto their own blades. Harry particularly was voicing strong opinions against it. The thought did make a cold shiver pass through Hermione’s spine, helping those that had marked her, beaten her and would have killed her was a tough lump to swallow but she was unsure if she could see an alternative.

After a few minutes of heated discussions, Harry banged his hand down on the table. The talk ceased and they all looked around again, “This is a lot to take in. I don’t like the idea but I can see some of you are thinking on it. I’ll admit to being very tired and in need of some rest. Let’s have a bit of time to think this through and see what we can come up with. We don’t need to make any decisions about this now.”

“We can’t delay forever,” Luna said.

“You’re right. We need to know what we’re doing!” Neville said.

Harry nodded and Hermione felt a little bit sorry for him. It was hard trying to keep everyone together through difficult times. She was glad that she was not in his position.

“We’ll come back together tomorrow morning,” Harry said before rising to his feet. Hermione let out a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding; everyone began making their way out of the room and she emptied her now cool cup of tea. The liquid was enough and she set the cup to the side. When near enough everyone else had gone, she rose.

“Are you alright?” Severus asked. She gave a shrug.

“I don’t really know,” she said, “I do know that I need a shower and some sleep… Care to join me?” she asked. He raised a brow and she flushed a bright colour, her cheeks heating as she realised what she had suggested. He took her hand once more and pulled her back down into his lap. A small giggle escaped her lips and she settled onto his bony knee. “You had an idea when we were talking, didn’t you?” she said as she nuzzled into his chest. “What was it?”

“Don’t worry about that right now,” he replied, smoothing her hair down against her face, “We’re safe and no longer have to worry for the moment,” he added. His even breathing against her cheek did much to soothe her and she began to let go of the worries that had built up over the past few days. Hermione only looked up when she heard a snort from the doorway.

“Do you pair have to?” Ron’s voice said. There was hardly a bite to it though and she gave her friend a smile and a little shrug. He made a gagging notion before turning and leaving them alone once again. She looked up into the black eyes of the man she had become to rely on and sniggered.

“Come on, we both need showers, we should share the water,” she said. This time, there was no denial on his lips and he let her tug him to his feet and lead him to the bathroom. Hermione couldn’t keep from smiling, there were some small things that she could be thankful for at least.


	31. Chapter 31

It was after their shower, after their love-making and after Severus had drifted off into sleep that Hermione lay awake contemplating the idea that he had shared with her. It was not the idea itself that had disturbed her; it was the cold, matter of fact way that he had disclosed it. Perhaps she shouldn't be as surprised as she was. The Death Eaters were a problem that he had found a solution to, even though he was once allied with them. She rolled on to her side and looked over him as he slept. That wasn't true though, was it? He had only appeared to work with them for the sake of the fight against the Dark Lord. Who knew what they had made him do while they were working together. She shook her head a little before forcing herself to lie still; he needed sleep, even if she couldn't get there herself.

She thought over the idea again and knew that it was a logical course of action. She had no wish to deal with the Death Eaters or let them into their circle. Hermione also knew that convincing Draco that it would be a good idea was going to be difficult. It would mean he would never be able to see his parents again, then again, had he not already made that choice when he decided to join them? They would know about his help in their escape by now and they'd be furious. It was likely that if they did encounter him again, they would kill him anyway.

Another sigh escaped her lips and she knew that she would get no sleep that night, despite the exhaustion creeping through her. Quietly, she nudged her way out of Severus' arms and pulled her clothes back on. Before she crept out, she laid a gentle kiss on his pale cheek before leaving the cell they now openly shared. In passing, she wondered when it had become acceptable to do so and when she had stopped caring about it. She shrugged, if you couldn't express yourself at the end of time, when could you?

Leaving the cell block, she headed back to the mess room. Perhaps there would be a hot cup of tea there that would help soothe her troubled thoughts. Hermione wasn't really all that surprised when she spotted Harry was also in there. He looked as conflicted as she did. After pouring them both tea, she sat opposite him at the table and gave a wan smile, "We really can't win can we?" he muttered as he wrapped his hands around the mug. She shook her head.

"The more I think about it, the more I realise that, even though we could hold them off for a while, eventually they'd win," he said.

"They'd stop at nothing," she said, her voice soft.

"What are we going to do Hermione?" he asked. She sucked in a breath, considering everything they had spoken about that night before opening her mouth to speak. At first, no words would come out. The idea was evil enough as it was, unspoken and undiscussed, voicing it seemed to turn it from mere fragments to something far more tangible. She swallowed.

"Severus had this idea that would solve the problem," she said. Harry tilted his head to the side to show he was listening and slowly, she began to speak. The look on his face told of his disgust for the idea but as he thought it through, he began to straighten.

"It seems like a fitting end," he said, "They killed Molly, tortured Ron and saw to it that Hagrid was taken by the Restless."

"Still…" Hermione said. Her words died on her lips however as she recalled the suffering Bellatrix had inflicted on her. What she had done to Molly would have been far more severe and so, she banished all compassion from her mind and looked at it objectively. The silence between the two companions extended as they thought through the implications of what they were doing.

"We'll have to share it with the others," Harry said after a long pause. Hermione nodded, there didn't really seem to be that much more to say on the matter. He too lapsed into silence and she drained her mug of tea.

"Think I might try and get some sleep now," she said with a large yawn. Her eyes were significantly heavier than they had been when she'd entered the room and she could feel sleep creeping up through her limbs. This time, it was Harry's turn to nod.

"At least we have an idea now," he said.

"How much of an idea is it though? Does it make us any better than them or are we stooping to a new low?" she asked. Harry didn't answer; there wasn't really anything to say. Hermione knew that they did what they had to in order to survive but that didn't mean she had to be entirely comfortable with it. She rose, returned her mug to the sink before going back to bed. Despite the tiredness that was flowing through her bones, it took longer than she had hoped before sleep claimed her.

Much to her surprise, Draco thought the idea was a good one. In fact, after Harry and Severus had explained it to everyone and talked it through with them, everyone seemed to agree. It was only her that had voiced her discomfort about it. How it seemed to detract from their humanity a bit, which was what made them better than the Restless and the Death Eaters. She was outvoted however and she knew when to capitulate. She didn't have to be comfortable with it, but she did have to play her part.

It did not take long to get everything prepared. All the supplies they needed to a long journey, they loaded into back packs and bags. The packing was in full swing when Hermione returned to her library for the first time since she had trashed it. Running a loving hand over the tops of several volumes, she let out a sigh. She had to decide which ones she was going to take with her and which ones to leave behind. It was a very tough choice. Grabbing a couple of her favourite classics, she placed them carefully at the bottom of the bag. She didn't think taking the volumes on the maintenance of prison equipment was truly necessary so she left those where they were, left them to their fate!

She didn't know how long she had been in there when she got a visitor, "Everything alright?" It was the hesitant voice of Ron that turned her head and she nodded slowly.

"I think so," she said. "I've packed rather a few but the choice is so difficult to make," she added waving at the ones she was struggling to make her mind up over.

"Jane Eyre?" Ron's disgust was evident in his voice and he wrinkled his nose at the volume. The book was battered, falling to bits almost but she loved the story. "And Wuthering Heights?"

"They're good stories Ron," she protested. Ron shook his head.

"Not exactly practical for surviving the zombie apocalypse though," he said as he folded his arms.

"Is that what they are now? Mere shambling husks of decay?" Hermione asked as she looked over her shoulder, "We called them Restless to remind ourselves that they were people and might be people once again."

Ron slumped down into one of the nearby chairs and rested his hands on his knees. He regarded her with cool eyes and gave her a half smile, "I think we're deluding ourselves," he said. When he spoke, he sounded rather sad and she turned to face him, wanting to fully hear what he had to say. "I think we've been doing so since Voldemort died. We keep thinking about a 'cure' and about how everything will go back to how it was, but how can it?" he said.

Hermione shuffled along the floor and placed her hand on his knee in a show of comfort, "We've been like this for years and I can't see an end to it. So I think we need to stop living with our heads in the clouds. Those things are dead, they're zombies; lifeless drones that hate the living and want us as dead as they are, deader." Hermione had never heard Ron speak like this before. He had always tried to cling to the hope that there was a way back in the past. Hermione patted his knee, not knowing what to say to him. There wasn't all that much comfort to be given to him and she had long ceased to believe that there was a way back.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked.

"Nothing Hermione, what else is there?" He shook his head and pushed to his feet again. "I don't think it makes much difference which one you take with you, you're the only one who used this room anyway," he said. There was no real sting in his words and she tried to give him a smile but for some reason, there wasn't really much to give. After he left the room, she stuffed both books into her bag and followed him out.

It took another twenty four hours before they were all ready to go. Everything that they needed to survive was packed and waiting for them in the main entrance. The only thing left to do was to send a message to the Death Eaters that the prison was theirs and they were leaving it for them. Draco himself penned the letter and said he would be waiting for them when they arrived. This of course was a lie, he had every intention of following Harry and his companions but his parents didn't need to know that just yet.

As soon as the letter was sent, via the wind of magic, the companions shouldered their packs and moved out of the place that he been their home for the past few year. Hermione felt a twinge of sadness as they crossed the threshold for the last time. It would seem that the first phase of Severus' plan was complete. It was the next bit that was to be truly ghastly.


	32. Chapter 32

Severus knew this was going to be a hard day. Perhaps this was the day that they finally all lost their humanity; God knew the act they were going to commit was enough to tilt them over that particular moral argument. He flicked lank hair from his face as he walked through the prison corridors for the last time, making sure everything was in place. He’d not been here as long as the others and yet, he still found that he was going to miss it. It had become a respite, a refuge; a home even, from the denizens of nasty’s that now roamed the world, human and undead alike. A sigh escaped thin lips as he ran a slim hand over the wall. He’d liked to have stayed here a little longer but good things were not meant to last he had found. Dropping his hand to the side, he shouldered his pack and re-joined the others.

Hermione was standing with Ron, talking about something inane no doubt. She had taken to talking with him more and more since he had suggested the idea. He hoped, dearly hoped, that it would not affect her judgement of him. She had been a light in the darkness over the last few months and to lose that would be to lose everything. Another small sigh escaped him as he walked over to them both. He gave a nod, signalling everything was done before Hermione turned to Potter and informed him. The boy spoke.

“I’m not going to make a speech, I don’t really see the point. Just keep your eyes open and stay together,” he said. It struck a chord as most people were nodding along, “And I think we need to wish Draco luck as well,” he added. Draco gave a wry smile.

“Just be at the meeting place,” he said in return. There were a few hollow laughs before the white haired man, yes, he really was a man now, turned and re-entered the prison. The thought that he might tamper with the plan and keep the prison safe for the Death Eaters had crossed his mind but he had dismissed it. Draco had been helpful all the way through their escape and he did seem genuine in his actions. Still, the nagging thought wouldn’t leave his mind.

Grabbing Hermione’s hand, he gave it a tug. She turned towards him, a frown marring her brow. He drew her against him for a moment, “What are you doing?” she whispered against his chest. Unable to find the words, he merely held for her for a while longer before placing a kiss on her forehead. When he released her, she seemed to understand what he was going to do. “You can’t!” she said.

“This isn’t the time for hysterics Hermione,” he said softly, “I have to make sure this plan goes as it should do. I will escape with Draco, have no fear of that,” he said. There was a flash of something in her eyes, was it fear perhaps? It faded as soon as it appeared however but he knew she was thinking exactly the same as he was. What if Draco was merely holding the door for the Death Eaters and letting them have the prison? He brushed brown curls from her face and kissed her once more. Although it was perhaps one of the most difficult thing he had done, he took a step back before turning away, not wanting to see any more of the hurt on her face. Still, someone had to remain behind and help Draco.

Harry seemed to understand as he moved to step beside his former friend’s son. Draco nodded at him, gave him a small smile even. Some of the sag in his shoulders left him and he straightened. They both watched as the rest of their group began leaving the place that had been their home for the past three years. Hermione gave them a last look and a wave before turning the corner. He waved back.

“Come on, we might as well get a coffee,” Draco said dryly, “It’ll take them a while to realise what it is I’ve said and what they should do,” he added.

“Your father was never the most forward of thinking men,” Severus said as he followed him into the prison again. Draco shook his head as the door shut behind them. They headed to the mess hall, where Draco sorted out hot water and set it boiling. The stove wasn’t something they could take with them and besides, it didn’t have all that much gas left in the bottle. Finding a full one and changing it was a real problem o they’d opted to leave it behind in one piece.

Draco shoved a black coffee into his hands and sank down beside him, “Shame to leave it all really,” he said after a moment.

“You don’t intend to stay?” Severus said as he sipped the hot liquid. Draco shook his head.

“I thought about it,” he said, “For a while I was tempted, but then I recalled the way they deal with all other people. I mean, if we’re the last remaining people on earth, then why would we go around destroying each other?” he said. Severus nodded, sensing the irony but remained silent on the matter, “There were more than a few people who came to us in the beginning, Muggles, half-bloods, every type of person going but because they weren’t us, they were killed. We could have just sent them on their way but no, they had to have fun with them instead.” Draco sighed and shook his head, “It all seemed rather senseless to me.”

Severus nodded, he knew well enough the cruelty of the Death Eaters, “I agree with you,” he said. There were plenty of times when he was wondering that he had encountered other groups of people. Some of them were friendly, most of them weren’t. Most wanted to look after their own but none of them had been overly violent or aggressive. They’d fizzled out towards the end of his wandering though.  Dismissing the thought, he looked back at Draco, “Are you ready for this?” he asked.

Draco snorted, “Been lying to my parents for the past few years, I think this should be a breeze,” he said. His tone was dry, wringing a smile from Severus. He shuddered, the thought of being near Bellatrix Lestrange again was not a welcoming one. She had a way of making his skin crawl, it was the teeth. And the crazy…

“Let’s hope they arrive soon, I want to get this over and done with,” he said. Draco nodded and they lapsed into silence once more. Unable to sit doing nothing, Severus pulled one of the books from his bag and began reading. Draco raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when the sound of the door being pulled open drew his attention away from the novel and back into the real world. The shouts for Draco had him tuck the book back into his bag and on his feet. Draco exchanged a glance with him and they both nodded. They rose together and headed into the corridor, towards the voices that were jabbering about their new location. As soon as they turned towards the main entrance, there was a delighted squeal and Narcissa ran forward to embrace her son. Lucius was shortly behind her, leaving Severus feeling lightly uncomfortable as they made a huge fuss of their only son.

When the moment had passed, Bellatrix alerted them to his presence, she stepped around him as though he was a prize science experiment and she was looking for flaws. “What are you still doing here?” she hissed.

Severus snorted but it was Draco who spoke, “It was his idea,” he said. “He said that he would be able to convince them to leave the place for us instead of trying to win a fight they’d lose.”

“Is this true?” Lucius asked.

Severus nodded, “They’re gone aren’t they?” he replied. It was a little more sarcastic than he had intended but he wasn’t about to apologise for it. He kept his eyes forward, not daring to give Draco any acknowledgement of thanks while the rest of the Death Eaters were there. Bellatrix was the only one who didn’t look entirely convinced; she continued circling him, which he ignored.

“Well, very good,” Lucius said. He coughed before looking around the corridor, “You might as well show us around son,” he said, changing the subject. Draco nodded and gestured for them to follow him. Severus tagged along at the end, hoping that this could be done sooner rather than later. The more time he had to spend in the company of these people, the worse he felt. Lestrange attached herself to his arm and although he felt his skin crawling with her touch, he did not pull away. It was best not to argue where she was concerned; her rage was known to become murderous in the blink of an eye, best not to aggravate her unnecessarily.

The tour did not take long. Soon, they were back in the mess hall drinking coffee like there was an endless supply. Severus wrapped slender fingers around his mug and contented himself to watching, rather than engaging with, the conversation. The Carrow twins nattered with Dolohov, while Draco informed his parents of several lies regarding Potter and his friends. Bellatrix was still, annoyingly enough, attached to his arm. She was trying to draw him into a conversation, which he resisted with all the will he possessed.

Draco’s conversation suddenly changed onto a subject far more interesting than anything else they had mentioned. They were talking about the cause of the Restless! Severus shifted, turning away from Bellatrix, much to her ire, and focused on what they were saying. “Have you not just tried to fix the wand?” Lucius asked. Severus blinked. He had no idea where the pieces were, but Potter did. “I mean, it’s of no real consequence, we still have everything we need and we can survive behind these walls for years,” he shrugged.

“It would be difficult to locate the pieces, and then there is the matter of finding someone who would be able to bind them back together,” Draco said.

Lucius nodded. “There is that, I never knew all that much about wand construction,” he said with a shrug. The conversation turned inane again and so he stopped paying as much attention. If this was what the afternoon was going to consist of, it was going to be a very long one indeed!


	33. Chapter 33

Night could not come quickly enough. The more they sat about and talked about all their misdeeds over the past few years, the more Severus could feel Draco’s resolve slipping. Killing a group of nasty people was always going to be a tough thing to do, killing a group of nasty people that involved both your parents made it that much harder. By the time the conversation had finished and they spoke of finding somewhere to bed down for the night, he knew it would have to be done this evening or not at all.

The sun had set long before everyone was settled down, Severus was sure it would be nearly day light by the time they were all asleep. He lay on the bed that had been his and Hermione’s the previous night and starred up at the ceiling. It would not do to fall asleep himself, yet he felt his eyes grow heavy none the less. He turned him mind over to some of the things that Lucius had said that night. Something about merely repairing the wand… Surely it couldn’t be as easy as it seemed? Alright, so he wasn’t the most astute wand maker there was, that had been Olivander and he was unable to help them.  Then there was the matter of contacting the maker of the wand to ensure the breakage was fixed. Did he remember seeing a spell in one of the books he had acquired over the years? It was possible, though not advisable to try. He’d have to convince the group that going back to Hogwarts to find the pieces and the spell was a good idea – it was a long way from where they were and he knew it would be dangerous.

A tap on the bars of his cell brought him back to the first problem. He looked up from the bed and saw Draco standing in the gloom, “Come on,” he hissed. It was all the encouragement he needed; he was on his feet and ready within moments.

“Thought you were having second thoughts,” Severus muttered as he crept out the cell. Draco gave him a look that would have withered daffodils. He said nothing however, now was not the time for a long conversation. Following Draco out of the cell, they moved into the deserted corridor and into the library. Severus shut the door behind him and let out a breath.

“Do we have to check them?” Draco asked. He nodded.

“We need to activate them as well,” he added. The man he had known since he was little more than a toddler gave a grim look but accepted his instructions.

“As we planned,” he muttered. There was no denying that this was going to weigh heavily on him for a long time but his resolve was as solid as it ever was.

“Back here in ten minutes,” was all Severus had to say on the matter. He left Draco where he was, going to check on the small piles the group had left behind. There were ten of them spotted around the prison, it was these bundles that would be key in the destruction of the Death Eaters. All of the ones he had been assigned to check were in place and now activated. There was no going back.

It took another five minutes for him to return to the library and another two for Draco to make his appearance. His face was slightly flushed, as though he had been running but the determination had not left his eyes. “We need to go,” he said. Severus nodded. He knew what would happen if they got caught when the packages activated fully.

Their belongings were already with the group so all they had to do was make it to the entrance of the prison and out into the air. As soon as they were out, they could make their break for the fence and out into the surrounding countryside. It would have been so much easier if they had managed to do so without being seen by anyone.

Unfortunately, such was not the case. The Lestranges, both of them, had taken to quarrelling over something inconsequential right in the middle of the hallway. Draco and Severus exchanged a glance; both knowing what awaited them if they lingered for too long. Draco pulled out his wand; Severus grabbed his hand and shook his head. That would make their escape damned near impossible. The amount of Restless it would attract outside… Draco frowned. Severus released his grip. There wasn’t really all that much they could do to change that, short of letting them know they were both going for a walk outside – which looked as suspicious as it was.

“There’s nothing for it,” Draco said.

Severus drew in a breath and waited. Draco cast a simple sleep spell that had the both of them slumped against the wall and breathing evenly in mere moments. “Come on!” Severus said. He was on his feet and charging towards the door, knowing that the release of magical energy would attract all manner of creature. Draco was beside him. As soon as they reached the door, he threw it open and they both plunged into the darkness, not bothering to close it behind them.

The cold press of undead bodies was on them the moment they were out. In a stroke of much needed luck, Severus managed to push passed them without injury. Draco was right behind him. “Quickly!” The gnashing teeth and pawing hands of the Restless snapped and clawed as they shoved their way through into some space. Severus managed to push one away, sending it sprawling into several others. This opened up a gap and they bolted through. It seemed that they were more interested in getting to the space where the magic had been cast, to where the sleeping Lestranges would be lying. Severus swallowed, finding his throat dry. It was not the death he would have wanted at all, despite their previous crimes.

“Don’t dawdle,” Draco said. He was in front of him now and Severus realised that his musing had cost valuable seconds. “We’ve not got long as it is!”

Then they ran.

They passed the ruined chain link fence before they knew it and were into the fields beyond the prison. Severus’ lungs felt as though they were on fire, his legs almost lead like and he was thankful when Draco halted and turned back to look at the prison. “Is that it?” he said when he had caught his breath.

“What were you expecting? Huge dramatic explosions?” Severus snapped. Draco looked a little sheepish at that and glanced at the floor, “Yes, it’s done.” He nodded.

“We can’t go back?”

“Unless you want to vomit out your insides,” he replied, “Monkshood gas is a very potent poison and will linger in the air for a long time,” he added. Draco should have been able to remember that from potions class. Still, that was some time ago and a lot had happened since then. “We should go,” he said, there was no point standing there starring at the building that was now a death trap for the living. HE had no idea what it would be like for the Restless, he found that he didn’t care either. If what he had found out was true, they were not going to be a problem for much longer. Draco nodded and fell in step beside him. “The meeting house isn’t all that far from here and they’ll want to be moving on as quickly as possible.” Again, Draco nodded silently. It occurred to Severus that the boy had just played a major part in the death of his parents and so he gave his shoulder a squeeze. It wasn’t much, but he knew he wasn’t versed in the arts of comfort or consolation; this was all he could give.

Draco seemed to appreciate the gesture however and they picked up the pace a little. Severus knew the way to the safe house and in a little over an hour, they were there. There were no lights on in the house but their companions were there none the less. A relieved Hermione greeted Severus with a fierce, warm embrace. One that he found easy to return, much to his surprise! They were given clean water and made to sit down before the questions began. Yes, they were successful, no, the Death Eaters were no longer going to be a problem, they were all dead. The escape had been relatively easy, no, they were not injured. This went on for a while until Severus raised his hands for quiet, “Please, Draco has just lost his parents and we’ve had to endure some of the most heinous of company over the past few hours,” he said. There were a few chuckles at this and Draco was given a little more room than he had been.

Harry looked over them both and shook his head sadly, “I suppose that leaves us with the question of what we’re going to do now,” he sighed.

This was it, the moment he had been expecting. It had come slightly sooner than he had thought but there was no point avoiding the subject now that it had been raised. Straightening in his chair, he coughed and looked Harry in the eyes, “I know how to fix the problem of the Restless,” he said.


	34. Chapter 34

Severus’ idea had been ingenious, or rather Lucius Malfoy’s idea had been. Severus had been very clear that the thinking had not started with him; he had just taken the idea and carried it through to its logical conclusion. There wasn’t a single person among them who wasn’t up for giving the idea a try. They were all sick to death of the Restless and what the world was turning into and so the decision was quickly made. Getting back to the north of Scotland at this time of year was going to prove tricky, nights were still very cold and there were still plenty of dangers. Not only from the Restless but from other people they might meet on the way. Still, they knew they had to try. If this was the solution they had been looking for, they would be foolish not to go for it.

The first obstacle was finding a way into the north that was relatively safe and quick to travel. Apparation was obviously out and so going on foot was the alternative. It was going to take weeks for them to reach their destination, even if they moved at optimum speed. The group was only as fast as their slowest member, which was the increasingly feeble Sybil Trelawney. Her vapid manner became ever frailer and she slowed the group considerably. Even with the assistance of Rolanda, she was still slow. It soon became apparent that the reason she had kept the Divination Tower so hot was because her joints were not as good as they had been some thirty years ago. The cold made them ache and even though she was wrapped up in layers of clothing, it did no good.

Of course, this was not a problem while the group passed through the countryside unhindered by living or dead, it would become one as soon as they met someone else. Thirteen of them were also more than a little obvious when they travelled together. So it was, a meeting was called after the third day to decide what was going to be done about it.

After an hour of bickering and whining about who was going to do what, it was decided that they would split into three groups of five, making it far easier to get across the country unhindered. They would meet again in Hogsmead when they arrived if they were able to. The supplies were split between them, what little they had been able to carry and the rest of the night was spent in sullen goodbyes.

***

Hermione found, now that they travelled with Luna, Neville and Draco, that they made far better progress. The pace was much quicker than the frail Sybil could manage. Their first port of call was to ensure that they had enough supplies to last them for the journey. Wetherby was a twenty mile journey straight up the A1 and served them well. Getting into Wetherby itself was just a matter of following the street signs, they were still up after all; just because the end of the world had happened, did not mean that the practicalities of motoring had been removed.

The streets were as deserted and desolate as Pontefract. Worse perhaps. Hermione stepped around a couple of abandoned bodies as they tried to remain within the shadow of a large building. Looking around, she realised that they were going to be hard pressed to find somewhere that hadn’t already been raided for food. Cold wind ripped through the streets as they passed by yet another broken window. “We should avoid the town centre,” Draco said. Hermione nodded, knowing it was wise words.

“Might be hard to find a store out here in the sticks though,” Luna said.

“It might even be better out there,” Neville said. Hermione tilted her head a little at that.

“Why?” Draco asked.

“These places were the hubs of the old world, everyone will think that they have enough food and such for them so they’ll have flocked to these places. If we stick to the smaller villages, they’ll have more in them as people won’t think to go there,” Neville explained. They continued to crunch through the crumbling paths as they spoke but Neville’s words had struck true. The passing of another empty convenience store was evidence of his idea and slowly it sank in.

“We’ll see what we can find here,” Severus said from the front of the line, how he had come to be at the front, Hermione wasn’t sure, “Then when we leave we can stick to the smaller villages and hope we find enough to keep us going,” he added. Satisfied, there were nods of consent and they continued to pick their way through the streets.

They came across a store another mile down the road. Although one of the windows was smashed, they managed to creep inside and saw that it had not been as thoroughly raided as they had first thought. Picking through the broken glass and knocked over shelves, Hermione managed to bag several tins of all day breakfast, a couple of canned fruit salad and some corned beef. There were also a couple of packets of pain killers and oddly enough, some toothpaste. She was about to tell the others that there were plenty of other tins when the moans of the Restless could be heard. She exchanged a glance with Severus before pulling a knife from her belt.

The others had already done the same, “Snag what you can,” she hissed. The packs they had were already looking a lot fuller and so they began backing from the store, rather than staying for a needless fight. Just as Neville backed out of the store, the back door burst open sending in a great push of Restless beings. They turned and fled. There was very little point in trying to fight off all of them over a couple of remaining tins of food. The next person who came along would be able to claim them instead.

It didn’t take all that long for them to escape and be back on the road once more. The Restless were generally rather slow after all and none of them were particularly tired from walking. They travelled for the rest of the daylight hours, taking shelter in an abandoned farm house (upstairs of course) for the night before continuing on their journey. The food they had taken from Wetherby lasted them for more than a few days. They passed the village of Snape, staying there for the night, much to the amusement of them all before continuing along their way. When their supplies were beginning to dwindle again, far to the north of Morpeth they followed Neville’s plan and looked for something in a less urban environment.

Neville had been right, the shop they found in the small Hamlet of Felton had been untouched for many years. The amount of dust on the produce was testament to that, as was the slightly lingering smell of decay – from what had once been fresh food. After their bags were completely refilled, they journey began again, there was still several hours of daylight left and they were keen to reach their destination.

Conversation had been few and far between during the journey however, Luna, usually quiet and one to remain in her own realm, asked a question that Hermione hadn’t really thought about, “Why don’t we just fly?” she asked.

“On what?” Severus replied. Hermione knew that he was more than capable of flying without the aid of a broom, or anything else for that matter and so she tilted her head.

“Luna has a decent point there, why don’t we fly to Hogwarts?” she asked. Severus rolled his eyes at his former students and shook his head.

“I have no idea about broom flight but I suspect it’s the same as unaided flight,” he started. “I tried it when this first happened, used it to escape the first ever abomination I ever saw. Escaping wasn’t really much of a problem, it was the landing.” His expression darkened a little and he flicked black hair back from his forehead.

“What happened?” Hermione asked. Luna, Neville and Draco were listening just as intently as she was but none of them reached out to take his hand. She gave it a squeeze, encouraging him to continue.

“When we cast spells, it attracts the Restless and flight is no different, I spent a long time trying to get away from the creatures I attracted it, it made using it to escape a futile effort.” His explanation satisfied the group and they continued on their way silently. Hermione did not let go of his hand however, it had been a while since they had shared more than a few moments together without the audience of everyone else and the simple gesture was reassuring. She looked forward to having a little bit of their own space again, perhaps, when they got to Hogsmead there would be time for more than a simple kiss on the cheek. The thought sent a shiver through her, which earned her a sideways glance from him. She smirked. It was returned and she got the idea that he had read her thoughts. Perhaps he had!

It took another two weeks for them to arrive anywhere near Hogsmead and what they found when they got there was not the most encouraging sight they had ever seen. They were first, of that there was no doubt. After no more than five minutes of looking at the place, it became clear that it would not be where they would meet the rest of the companions. It was crawling with the undead. Everywhere they looked, there were bodies pressing in against each other.

Retreating back to the nearest village to think, an idea began to creep into Hermione that would mean they would meet with the rest of their group. When they were all together again, they would be able to reconsider their original plans and see what else they could come up with. Clearly, staying in Hogsmead was not going to be a viable option, unless they wanted to become magic food by the end of the week.


	35. Chapter 35

The day they arrived, also the day they left, they made their way to the nearest village. Dufftown was a small place, consisting of little more than a handful of houses, a shop that was untouched and a hardware store. There was also an abandoned distillery, a church and more farms in the surrounding area than she could count. In the end, they decided to make their camp in the distillery. It had a couple of rooms where the malt was once stored and this would provide them with enough room to stay for a couple of days. The loft was only accessible by a wooden ladder that could easily be pulled up when required.

They split into two teams. Hermione and Severus were to raid some nearby houses to stash some bedding – there was no point being cold when there was plenty being unused nearby. Draco, Luna and Neville would go and raid the local shop for whatever they could find. Their supplies were once again running low and a restock was badly needed. Hermione could only hope that they would find something for them – water wasn’t going to be a problem however, the distillery had a small stream running through it. This had allowed them to refill their water bottles before climbing into the loft.

Acquiring bedding wasn’t an issue, there were enough houses and the small place was completely devoid of any movement. There were no bodies in the street, no evidence of the death that had happened in the outside world at all. Hermione looked around the house they had broken into and sighed. The kitchen table had been laid for dinner, four places set with plates, knives and forks. A pan, which held the residue of a cooked something, was still on the stove. Whoever had lived here had left in a hurry.

Hermione turned away from the kitchen and into the lounge. There were pictures on the side of the family who had once called this house a home. Two adults, a mum and dad, stood hugging a child each. An older brother stood with an older sister in another. There was one that had been taken at an amusement park, the four of them crashed down a log flume; their joy evident on every part of their faces. The rest of the living room was as she expected it to be. Dusty, with the slight scent of decay and damp, but not as overpowering as it had been in other places; it felt horribly like her own home.

Choking back a hard lump in her throat, she turned and fled the family room. She darted up the stairs and located the master bedroom. Severus was already upstairs and exploring the rooms. When he turned to look at her, he frowned, “What is it?” he asked.

She shook her head, “Sentimental crap really,” she muttered. He was beside her in a moment and had her hand in his.

“What is it?” he asked again.

“This is how it should be,” she said softly.

“And how it could be again,” he said. “We need to make sure our plan comes to pass and it could go back to being like this.”

She shook her head again, “It’ll never go back, we will never go back to this, the damage is done Severus.” She sank down onto the bed, letting it sag beneath her. He didn’t reply at first, instead sat beside her. His arm curled around her shoulder and the hard lump in her throat returned. Turning into him, his other arm held her in place. A sob took over her despite how she bit her lip. Hermione tried to will away the tears, fought them, not wanting to look weak for anyone.  When his hand touched her hair in a soothing manner, she broke.

Hermione wasn’t sure how long it was that they had sat there, it could have been minutes, it could have been hours. However, the sun was beginning to sink below the clouds and the air turned cool. Severus rubbed her shoulder, encouraging her to move away . After a quick squeeze of his hand, she rose and did as he silently requested. When he moved to stand beside her, he placed a kiss on her forehead and gave her a sort of half smile. “We need to get back,” he said.

“I know,” she replied. “Might as well collect all these blankets while we’re here,” she added. Severus responded by scooping a load up into his arms. When he faced her again, she chuckled. All she could see of him was his mop of black hair and two arms. She helped by grabbing a load herself and leading him from the room.

It didn’t take long for them to return to the loft and their companions. Draco was sat nursing a rather large gash on his forearm. Hermione was sharply reminded of the time Buckbeak had caused a similar wound and she tilted her head, “I assume that wasn’t a distressed hippogriff?” she asked. The blankets were dumped into a pile and they flopped down onto the floor.

“Glass,” Draco replied. “Caught my arm on a shard in the shop.”

She chuckled when she saw the wound wasn’t as deep as she first thought, “Stung I bet,” she said. He nodded and they lapsed into silence once more. Neville had concocted something for them to eat and restocked their supplies.

It was while they were eating that the subject of finding the others, or how they would find them, was first broached. As she munched on something she was sure was meat but couldn’t be too sure, an idea came to her. It continued to grow as she ate and by the time she was finished, she broached it with the rest of the group. Their nods as she spoke were more than enough encouragement and when she curled up besides Severus that night, she knew what action she must take the next day.

***

Hermione’s idea worked. The very next day, the five of them crept back to Hogsmead and began marking the trees with small arrows. They had to be a bit careful with them, making sure they would be seen but were not too obvious for anyone else who happened to be passing the area as well. Being sprung upon by random Muggles was the last thing they wanted to happen. It took a lot of the morning to sneak around, trying not to be noticed by the bumbling Restless in the village below. When they were done, all there was to do was return to the loft and wait.

They took turns watching the road for travellers. Hermione knew they had a decent vantage point where they were and would be able to spot people long before they were seen themselves. Still, waiting was not something she had ever been very good at and before long, she was as restless as she had ever been.

By the middle of the second day, Hermione had been banished from watching as all she did was pace the loft and make everyone uncomfortable. Severus had been sent out to retrieve something for her to do – he returned with a large pile of books (as well as several more pillows and blankets). Most of them she had read before. Some of them were new however and she set about reading. None of them were what she would normally read and by the time the sun was sinking below the horizon, she was once again back to restlessness and pacing.

The next day, Hermione was practically banished from the loft altogether. She had long realised that the town in which they were staying was devoid of anything that resembled a human, so she took to exploring the place instead. She didn’t find very much but it did keep her mind from being preoccupied with her missing friends.

Hermione had just broken into her fourth house when she heard voices drifting up on the wind. Chatter was not something she was used to hearing and as such, she ducked down under a window and strained to hear what was being said. The people were still rather far off for her to make her mind up whether they were hostile or not so she remained where she was. Making sure her breath was as quiet as it could be; she waited.

She need not have bothered, as the voices became clearer, she realised that they were some of the companions they had been waiting for. Ron’s speech pattern was unmistakeable and she relaxed. Standing up, she left the house and walked into the street, making sure they knew it was her before she made any sudden movements.

After an initial greeting, she took the five she had found Harry, Ron, Lupin, Tonks and Ginny, up to the loft for a warm welcome. They declined to eat anything, informing them that their supplies were adequate and everyone made themselves comfortable; they still had five other companions left to arrive. Hermione smiled, knowing it would not be long before they turned up and they could get on with their plan of saving the world.

Seven days later they were still waiting. 


	36. Chapter 36

After the dawn on the eighth day, Harry called a meeting. The loft was cramped with everyone sat around but there was little else they could do. Up here, they were safe from any wandering Restless that might appear without warning. Hermione sat under the eaves of the roof, trying to listen to what the others were saying. It was rather hard to contemplate what they were discussing, that those they had left with Sybil were dead and not going to turn up. The very thought of that happening, after everything they had been through, sent a cold wave through her. It pooled at the bottom of her belly and left her feeling as though she had been turned into lead.

Remus was the first to voice this thought, despite the fact that they had all been thinking it, “We cannot wait forever,” he said slowly, “Regardless of whether they’re alive or dead, we can’t sit here waiting.”

“Remus is right.” This time it was Severus who spoke, “We need to ensure we are able to survive. This loft isn’t big enough for all of us, nor is this location particularly good.”

“Why not?” asked Ron, “We’re close to Hogwarts after all and that’s what we wanted.”

“There are countless Restless in Hogsmead, we have no idea how many are at the castle itself,” Severus said, “How long will it be before they realise we are here and come looking for an easy meal?” he explained. This managed to silence Ron well enough and he grumbled while sitting back.

“What about our plan?” Harry asked after a pause, “The only reason we are up here is because you thought you knew how to fix this problem. Does this mean we can’t continue?” he said. There was a pause. Everyone seemed to turn towards Severus and hold their breath.

“Of course we can continue,” he snapped. There was a trace of his former waspishness in his voice and Hermione wasn’t sure whether to touch his hand or not. Perhaps he was as eager to get the whole situation fixed as she was. The thought that they would fail did not even cross her mind. “It’s not going to be easy but I never said it would be. I suggest what we do is make our way to Hogwarts and see how bad it is.”

Harry nodded very slowly at that, considering the options it seemed, “I snapped the Elder Wand while I was on the bridge,” he said, “If we need to find the pieces, there would be a good place to start.” A couple of murmurs agreed with this and Hermione found herself nodding too.

“We’ll help you Harry,” she said.

“’Course,” Ron said. She gave her two best friends a smile, glad that they could still work together and agree on something. Ginny cleared her throat as if to say something but a look from her brother silenced her. Hermione couldn’t help wonder what it was that she had been about to say. She knew there was a rapidly developing romance between the two but hadn’t had a chance to question either Ron, Harry or Ginny about it. They’d been apart for the best part of three weeks after all and not had chance for a catch up yet.

“We’ll gather what supplies we need then and spend the rest of the day getting ready.” Harry said. The general consensus was that this was a good idea and so it was put into action. Hermione returned with Ron to the store while Harry, Remus and Tonks took to the hardware store. While they walked to the store, Ron began explaining what had happened along the way.

“We came across a couple of groups of Restless,” Ron said. She was glad he had returned to calling them that, rather than zombies. It might be a false hope, but it was something to cling to if nothing else. “I mean, that’s nothing new but bloody hell, I’ll never get used to it. We had to fight through this one group and man, I’d forgotten how much they stink!” he said. Hermione smiled at that.

“Tell me about it!” she snorted.

“Just disgusting, anyway. Ginny’s knife got stuck in this one’s eye socket and another came from the side. She didn’t see it but Harry did. Thank Merlin he did else I’d be the only Weasley left.” He shook his head a little at that thought, sobering as it was, “They’ve been all clung to each other since,” he gave her a sly look, “Bit like you and Snape,” he added.

Hermione flushed a little at the friendly barb and shook her head. Ron held up his hand so she didn’t make any protests to the contrary and laughed, “It’s OK, even if it is a little gross,” he added. Ron opened the door to the store and they stepped inside. Hermione’s eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom and she led her friend to the shelves.

“There’s not much left,” she said with a shrug. “Most of the tins are at the loft anyway and the other stuff has mostly perished.”

She watched as Ron looked at the packages. He did swipe a couple of the remaining chocolate bars and tore open one of them. The look on his face when he bit into it was positively erotic and Hermione couldn’t help but laugh at him. He gave her a look before handing one of them to her. She opened it and did as he had. Why she hadn’t thought to do the same earlier on she had no idea. Ron leaned against one of the shelves and turned to her. “Want to know what I miss?” he said.

“What?” she asked.

“Pizza.”

Hermione laughed, “Pizza?” she raised an eyebrow at him, wanting more of an explanation.

“I dream of eating melted cheese and soft warm bread,” he said, “Some days it’s all I can think about,” he admitted. Hermione stopped laughing and let out a small sigh.

“Want to know what I miss the most? Food wise?” she said. Ron nodded as he scanned the shelf for further food that would be of actual use.

“Cookies. I would commit murder for  fresh cookie,” she said. There were a couple of red packets of Maryland Cookies still sealed but she knew better than to try them. The date would have long expired and they would be soft mush by now. Turning away from them, she saw Ron nodding out of the corner of her eye. “If this works, if the world returns back to how it should be, I’m going to make the biggest batch of cookies and eat them all!” she said. Now it was Ron’s turn to laugh at her and she found herself giggling.

They lasped into silence once more and returned their attention to the task they had actually been set – refilling their supply bags as much as they could. It didn’t take all that long and before they knew it, they were walking back to the loft. Harry met them on their way. He had several large knives in his hands, hunting blades like the one that was constantly at her hip, as well as a couple of other weapons. “There are more in the loft,” he said, “This is the last of them.”

The moment they had all settled back upstairs, they looked over what they had managed to scavenge. There was a crow bar, a fire axe and a couple of machetes. Added to the weapons they were already carrying, they now looked as though they would be able to fend off a small army. Hermione hoped that it would be enough. Looking at the food they had, starving was not going to be a problem in the short term.

“How are we going to do this?” she asked as she pulled a blanket around her shoulders.

“What do you mean?” Harry asked.

“I mean, we’re not going to be able to just wander up to the place, find what we want and leave again.” She said, “Hogsmead was overrun after all, Hogwart’s is bound to be the same.”

“What makes you think that?” Ron said.

She rolled her eyes at his denseness, “It’s the epicentre of magic for the country, and it’s bound to have attracted rather a lot of them.” Ron considered it for a moment and nodded, realising the logic of her thoughts.

“We’ll all go tomorrow, check out what’s there and then come up with some form of plan.” Harry said, “There’s no point going overboard with a plan that we might not be able to use,” he added. She was forced to agree to that.

Severus sat down beside her, lifted the blanket and pulled her close. She settled against his shoulder, hoping that she would be able to get enough sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day and she would have to be wide awake if they were going to succeed. Hermione let out a sigh and began to settle. Her eyes drifted shut and she willed herself to not think anymore; there would be time enough for that in the morning.


End file.
